Posted 02/11/2013 9:12 PM

Funny, I was just about to post the same thing!

Not saying I want to get rid of JJ Hickson, but depending on if we can also possibly get a C from another team in the deal or some more depth, draft picks, etc, that would be awesome. He would help out in the paint A LOT, and if we do end up trading JJ or anyone, he would fit nice. He can ball and has a lot to offer. Even if this doesn't mean we trade JJ, but if JJ were to leave next year we have this guy who is a force! I love Dejuan and it's pretty exciting to see a player with a knee "condition?" such as his and he still fights through and plays great.

I'm not one to play trade-finder all day, but I also think we could really use a solid 6th man who can come and score off the bench. As I've said before, JJ Redick would be a GREAT fit. If we could somehow make a three-way trade, Hickson to Orlando, Reddick to Portland, Gustavo Ayon to Spurs, & Blair to Portland. (Maybe a draft pick/future draft pick)
I know my head is probably in the clouds with this, but man that would be exciting.

BTW for any Hickson lovers, I love Hickson as well but this team needs certain assets for the future and signing him to a 9 mil/yr deal is not gonna work out for us. If we can sign him for less I'm all for it, though.

 

But Dejuan is SO much like Hickson, Portland would fall in love with him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai7p4J2qRYg

Posted 02/11/2013 9:25 PM

I know it's just Bleacher, but a great article for anyone who doesn't know who he is or wants to get a better idea of him: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/607319-nba-against-all-odds-the-story-of-the-san-antonio-spurs-center-dejuan-blair

Posted 02/11/2013 9:37 PM

Here are the tweets from Chris Broussard

Posted 02/11/2013 10:01 PM

He would be a very good pick up

If we can get him without Hickson it would help a lot. Like just Sasha Pavolvic for Blair

Or we can trade Hickson to actually get some value out of him, 

maybe Hickson for Dejuan Blair, Nando De Colo, 2013 second round pick (maybe a first if were lucky lol)

Posted 02/11/2013 10:01 PM

According to Hoopsworld, Blair will be an unrestricted free agent. He currently makes a little over a million dollars this year.

Posted 02/11/2013 10:02 PM

i wanted blair on draft night a couple years ago. the worry was about whether his knees were good or not but he would've been a steal as i believe he was picked up late first/early second round. i wouldn't do jj straight up but if he's cheap i could definitely see him playing starting C. let's make jj our sixth man!

Posted 02/11/2013 10:04 PM

Blair had been getting 21 minutes over the previous two seasons, but his playing time has decreased to just over 13 minutes. But even in limited action, he's still averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds.

Posted 02/11/2013 10:13 PM

Why the heck would JJ approve any trade that involved him going to the magic?

Posted 02/11/2013 10:17 PM

he would bloster our bench if we could keep hickson to

 

Posted 02/11/2013 10:27 PM

If this does happen, I believe he will come cheap. Matching expiring rookie contract (likely Nolan) and a second round pick or a right to a foreign player will do (SA loves bringing players from overseas).

Posted 02/11/2013 10:29 PM

However, just read those tweets. Just read them and you could tell he's basing this on almost nothing at all. Don't ever trust Broussard's "source". It's likely his dogs, bleacher report, or his imagination. You could almost send him a message about an imaginary trade rumor, and he'll quote you as a source.

Posted 02/11/2013 11:48 PM

The best situation I've seen was suggested on Blazers Edge.

 

Trade Freeland for Splitter.  Their salaries are similar.   Why does SA made this trade?  Splitter's qualifying offer (cap hold) is $5.8 mil (similar to Hicksons situation), and because he will likely recieve a larger contract from another team, SA would be forced to match or lose him for nothing.  They can't afford to sign splitter or $10 mil, and at least they could get something in return trading for Freeland.

 

By giving up Freeland, the Blazers are essentially getting Splitter for $10 mil minus Freelands 3 mil contract.  Although they give up Freeland, they only reduce the available cap by $7 mil instead of $10.  This lease Portland $8+ million to get a legit 6th man like a JJ Redick, or split that between two $4-5 mil solid bench guys.

 

Ideally the best way to attain Blair is to sign him this off-season with the Room Exception (which can be used to sign any number of players up to $2.6 mil).  It would seem more likely that SA will look to trade him before then to again, get something in return.  I'm not sure what SA would want for him (nolan, price, jeffries, pavlovic), considering it's cap relieve anyway you cut it whether they trade or not.

 

Best scenario for next year that I can see would look something like this:

PG  Lillard/Redick

SG  Matthews/E.Williams

SF  Batum/Claver/Babbitt

PF  Aldridge/Blair

C  Splitter/Leonard

And sign any fillers to vet minimum contracts.  Perhaps then portland could pull off a S&T for Hickson for a nice bonus player off the bench or a pick.

 

So let the reality sink in:  Hickson will get paid, Splitter will get paid, and neither fit salary wise with their current teams for next  year.  Both will be playing else where next season.  I think Splitter and Blair would be awesome here in Portland.

 

Posted 02/11/2013 11:52 PM

Posted By DHawes22 on 02/11/2013 10:01 PM
According to Hoopsworld, Blair will be an unrestricted free agent. He currently makes a little over a million dollars this year.

Correct, meaning if SA doesn't find someone to trade him to, Portland can sign him over the cap for upto the full Room Exception ($2.6 mil). 

Posted 02/11/2013 11:54 PM

Opps, I left off Barton.  Throw him in there too.  Looks like a contender to me.

Posted 02/12/2013 12:06 AM

In fantasy world: Hickson/Freeland for Blair/P.Mills/Splitter 

Mills has 1yr Bird Rights and has to concent.  I'm certain that wouldn't be an issue.  BACK UP PG!  Anyway...

Posted 02/12/2013 12:18 AM

Blair, Mills and Splitter would be interesting. Add Barbosa from Boston somehow and we'd be deep

Posted 02/12/2013 2:31 AM

i'm loving that one mills was instant offense off our bench and is a huge upgrade to both nolan and price 

Posted 02/12/2013 7:51 AM

Posted By riverman on 02/12/2013 12:18 AM
Blair, Mills and Splitter would be interesting. Add Barbosa from Boston somehow and we'd be deep

Scratch that idea.  Barbosa sounds like he tore an ACL.

Posted 02/12/2013 8:14 AM

Posted By Blazer Fanatic on 02/12/2013 12:06 AM

In fantasy world: Hickson/Freeland for Blair/P.Mills/Splitter 

Mills has 1yr Bird Rights and has to concent.  I'm certain that wouldn't be an issue.  BACK UP PG!  Anyway...

can't say im in favor of trading jj but i would do this with or without patty

Posted 02/12/2013 8:54 AM

Posted By The Unholy on 02/12/2013 8:14 AM

Posted By Blazer Fanatic on 02/12/2013 12:06 AM

In fantasy world: Hickson/Freeland for Blair/P.Mills/Splitter 

Mills has 1yr Bird Rights and has to concent.  I'm certain that wouldn't be an issue.  BACK UP PG!  Anyway...

can't say im in favor of trading jj but i would do this with or without patty

I would as well.  I just threw him in cause I like the Aussie.  It works without Mills also.

Posted 02/12/2013 1:29 PM

Oh man, I hadn't realized how young Splitter was until now... I just assumed he'd be in mid 30's :P   He'll be a fine addition. I'm just glad to see that 4M Hickson contract more than paying off. Might even bring in someone huge via Hickson sign-and-trade in the offseason

Posted 02/12/2013 8:34 PM

What I can't understand, is why the concern about JJ's Bird Rights?  He loses them in a trade, yes.  Is he crazy to give them up though?  Not really.  If the Blazers are wanting to trade him, they clearly do not want to pick up his $7+ mil cap hold.  And if Porltand does not pick up his cap hold, then his Bird Rights do not matter at all.

 

The only issue is whether or not JJ veto's a trade or not.  lf JJ is not going to be a Blazer next year, why would he veto a trade to the team with the best record in the NBA? 

Posted 02/12/2013 11:38 PM

Top tier players always want to play for Popovic. JJ would thrive there. Duncan is close to retirement.

Posted 02/13/2013 4:28 PM

I don't believe that there is any concrete reason to believe that Olshey is going to trade with SA.  My point was that I think it would be great for JJ and the Blazers.  Players go to teams because of other players, money being relatively equal.  Despite being a small market, the Blazers are a team that free agent centers and guards will seriously consider because of Batum/LA/Lillard/Matthews core.

Posted 02/13/2013 7:35 PM

Smokescreen

Posted 02/13/2013 9:05 PM

idk if I like this trade. A lot of blazer fans have been complaining that we already have an undersized center in Hickson. Does it really make sense to go after a guy that is 6'7? If we can get him without losing Hickson i'm for it, but doing a straight up trade for an injury prone undersized center doesn't make sense to me. Also, I would be all for a 3 team trade acquiring Blair and getting a solid bench player and giving up Hickson. Hickson for Blair and a draft pick not a good idea. 

Posted 02/14/2013 1:52 AM

Splitter is 6'11, and Blair is a dump truck (i.e. barkley) on the boards.

Posted 02/14/2013 8:49 AM

I like Splitter but actually would rather have another dump truck in the Rhino with good knees than Blair. Call me paranoid

Posted 02/14/2013 12:41 PM

Given this team's history, I'm with you on this one river

Posted 02/14/2013 11:37 PM

It is a tough call; but I think an unconventionally energy (JJ) Hickson sixth man, could be better than a normal (JJ) Redick shooting sixth man.  This scenario seems more likely if Elliot allows us to sign Him again for a good price, and Elliot shoots well at the FT line.

As for Splitter, He is now a restricted FA with his $5.9M qualifying offer.  Hickson for Splitter trade would not be approved by the Spurs in My opinion.

I also think that Freeland must have learned a lot at this point.  If He does Not study huge amounts of film, then He should be gone.  I would bet that Freeland is a cerebral player, and can do some real good things when given the time.

 

Posted 02/15/2013 7:51 AM

Agree with Shootums, actually. I think there's a chance we keep Elliot, I really hope we get to see him play even a little bit at the end of the year. I almost forget his talent.. which is sad. But if he is the player we all knew him to be, still, then he would be real nice with Mathews and Barton.

Posted 02/15/2013 12:07 PM

Trading hickson for blair=stupid

Posted 02/15/2013 2:03 PM

lol wouldn't have to give up hickson for blair looks like the spurs are just trying to do a cap dump so expiring cheap contracts would land us blair 

Posted 02/21/2013 9:31 AM

dejuan blair?! blazers front office has got to be kidding me.

hes 6'7 and has no knees.