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Turkoglu, others could top Blazers' wish list
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AP Photo/John Raoux
In two weeks, the Blazers will enter free agency a good 5 to 10 million dollars under the NBA's salary cap, giving them more flexibility than all but a handful of teams. A few days ago, I highlighted a list of backup power forwards that could be had this summer. It was a straightforward way of predicting Portland's activity this offseason. None of the players would break the bank, so the risk of signing one of them would be low. Alas, anticipating Kevin Pritchard's moves is never that easy. We have seen flurries of draft day trades. We have witnessed the Oden/Durant dilemma. Could this be the summer we see the Blazers make a major splash in free agency?
The only two spots in its starting lineup Portland has interest in upgrading are point guard and small forward. Fortunately, there is an ample collection of such talent about to hit the market. Let's take a look.
Group I. "Yeah, right"
Andre Miller, PG, Sixers: Miller has done a fantastic job guiding his young team to the playoffs each of the past two years. Both seasons the Sixers have started slowly, fired their coach, and had anxious Philadelphia fans expecting the worst, only to rally behind the strong play of Miller and teammate Andre Iguodala. In that sense, he would be a perfect fit with the youthful Blazers, but one must look a little further. Miller excels when the ball is in his hands and he is able to dictate the pace. He loves to push the tempo and play the fast break game. The Blazers are not a fast break team, and they already have a star guard to handle the offense. Miller is not the answer for Portland.
Shawn Marion, F, Raptors: A couple years ago, Marion was one of the best players in the game. His tremendous athleticism allowed him to collect steals, blocks and rebounds like this lady collects cats. His role in the Phoenix Suns' run-and-gun offense helped make him a surefire top-five pick in fantasy leagues across the country. Yet, since he was shipped out of the dessert, his numbers have taken a big hit, as has his value. He is best-suited for a team that plays the way the Suns do. Coming off a salary of over 17 million, Marion would not be a wise investment for the Blazers.
Jason Kidd, PG, Mavs: Here are two numbers of interest for any Blazer fan who thinks we should try to sign Kidd: 21 and 36. The first one is his 2008-2009 salary, in millions. The second one is his age (not in millions, but it's still pretty high.) 'Nuff said.
Group II. "We could sign him?"
Trevor Ariza, SF, Lakers: Remember when Jerome James turned a couple of good playoff games with the Sonics into a 30 million dollar deal with the Knicks? Now, try to imagine how much New York would have given him had he been excellent on both sides of the ball all postseason long and helped lead his team to a title, because that is what Ariza did this postseason. Perhaps it would be better to compare him to James Posey, who helped key Boston's title run last year with his perimeter defense and timely shooting. Posey then cashed in with the Hornets to the tune of 25 million dollars. Except, Ariza is 7 years younger than Posey was last year. So, it is within reason to expect Ariza to command more than either player in free agency. While it would be great to steal a player from the hated Lakers, Ariza is likely the one player whose value is the most inflated right now.
Ron Artest, SF, Rockets: A bitter taste remains in the Blazers' mouths from how they were pushed around by Artest and company in their series with the Rockets. The good thing about adding Ron-Ron would be a surefire win should Portland and Houston meet again next postseason. The bad: the headcase-weary Blazer front office would likely never agree to this.
Group III. "Yawn... I guess he could help"
Mike Bibby, PG, Hawks: Bibby is a proven point who can score, provide leadership, and come up big in playoff games. Why, then, would a Bibby acquisition not excite Blazerfans? Because Bibby is only a slightly-better version of Steve Blake, a point guard with a plus jumpshot who does most of his damage from beyond the arch. Neither is quick enough to stay with the Pauls and Parkers of the Western Conference, and neither would have been able to lead the Blazers past the Rockets this year.
Josh Childress, SF, Greece via the Hawks: Two years ago, Childress was a force of the bench for Atlanta; crashing the glass, getting to the rim, and playing and defending multiple positions. When Atlanta inexplicably allowed him to leave and go overseas, it was assumed that the Hawks would crumble without him. Then, Atlanta went on to win more games and go deeper into the playoffs. Now, Childress is a bit of an unknown. Few, if any NBA execs were able to see him play in Greece, and his impact on the Hawks, which seemed so great a year ago, does not appear to be special anymore. It remains to be seen what kind of market there will be for Childress this year.
Group IV. "The missing piece to the puzzle"
Hedo Turkoglu, SF, Magic: The Blazers would like a point guard. They would also like a small forward. They could stand to improve their rebounding, as well as their shooting. Enter Turkoglu; a 6-10 point-forward who can shoot, score, rebound, and make teammates around him better. In Orlando, he created matchup nightmares for other teams and took much of the offensive pressure off of Superman. Imagine what he could do for the Blazers. Opponents would have to put someone long on Turkoglu, leaving a smaller player on Roy. Turkoglu is capable of bringing the ball up the floor to begin a possession, or taking his defender one-on-one to end it. He is a go-to-guy at the end of games, which would take an enormous load of Roy's back. He is blessed with Travis Outlaw's size, but unlike Outlaw, he does not feel the need to hoist up ridiculous shots or shy away from defensive rebounds.
Turkoglu could be the difference between another first-round exit and a championship run, but to get him, Portland is going to have to pony up the dough. Turkoglu terminated his contract, which was set to pay him 7.4 million this season, to test free agency. It is a test he will probably ace to the tune of 50 million dollars, or more. The Blazers will have to be creative, as well as persistent, to lure him away from Orlando, but with Kevin Pritchard around, anything is possible. Come July 1st, we will see if K.P. is ready to take a splash into the waters of free agency.
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