I believe by Sabonis not playing this year, this could work in the Rockets favor. Portland has only one legit center on the roster (Davis), and will most likely probably try to acquire one. I believe a trade of E.Griffin and Cato for Rasheed and some gaurd on their team, would be better than Martin and Mutombo trade offer by Jersey. Mutombo is too much and too old, and Martin has no offense. E.Griffin and Cato are younger and have more potential. Tuesday, August 12 Sabonis to spend more time with family -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis will not return to the NBA next season, his agent said Tuesday. The 7-foot-3 center told his agent, Chicago-based Herb Rudoy, he was retiring to spend more time with his family in Lithuania. "He informed me yesterday that it was not his intention to come back and play this year," Rudoy said Tuesday. Rudoy informed the Trail Blazers of Sabonis' decision on Monday, team spokesman Mike Hanson said. Sabonis was scheduled to be in Portland this week for a team physical. Instead, he has stayed home in Lithuania. The team and Sabonis had until Friday to sign a deal that would have guaranteed his $7 million salary for the upcoming season. If the Trail Blazers trade him before Friday, a team could gain cap relief from his salary. Sabonis has already retired once, sitting out the 2001-2002 season when he also cited the desire to spend more time with his family A fan favorite, Sabonis joined the Trail Blazers in 1995 and has averaged 12 points and 7.3 rebounds in 470 games. He is seventh on the team's career list for rebounds with 3,436. Considered by many to be one of the best European players ever, Sabonis helped the Soviet Union win the 1988 Olympic gold medal, which included a semifinal win over the United States. The Trail Blazers drafted him in 1986, but waited almost a decade for his arrival. His departure leaves the Trail Blazers with one proven center, Dale Davis, and one prospect, Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, who has played sparingly in 35 games over two seasons. ESPN Tools Email story Most sent Print story Daily email
mix rasheed in with our young impressionable group? i dont think thats wise... he will also take shots and offensive possesions from yao who sorely needs them for developmental purposes.... we need a pf that can bang, do the dirty work, and score without the ball...a carlos boozer type.
You are going to have to come up with about 6 million more worth of players to make that happen. I believe Rice and Cato, alone, could make it happen. I think the Blazers may consider that. They need a starting center with a defensive presence. I think Cato is that. They need to clear capspace. With Rice off the books next year, they will save 18 million dollars (due to dollar for dollar luxury tax). If you could land him by sending someone other than Rice, we will have a cap space bonanza next year when Wallace comes off the books.
Wallace would be the starting PF. We could go out and pick up someone like Stepania to play the backup center position. If you're concerned about the luxury tax, then this trade doesn't make much sense. But if you're bottom line is all about winning then you do this trade in a second. Rice, Griffin, Cato for Wallace. Sounds good to me.
When did Kelvin Cato (yeah, that Kelvin Cato) become the automatic answer to every NBA team's center problems???
Since last season when he proved he can rebound and play good defense better than most centers in the league.
It will take more than one season of decent production per 17 mins to erase 3-4 seasons of mediocre production to justify his contract or any trades where we don't have to take someone else's undesireable player in return.
Rasheed would play powerforward and could mover over to center when Ming on the bench. This would be the best aquistion the Rockets could make. 1. Rasheed's intensity is what the Rockets need. I believe under JVG he would play with some dicipline. 2. Remember the PF position is the most important position in the NBA right now, and the PFs we have are not at the same class as Duncan, KG etc..... Having Rasheed would about cancel that advantage the other teams have. 3. If you are thinking how will this help us against the Lakers; you have to know that the Lakers have always had trouble playing Rasheed and his Trailblazers. When Rasheed was on, no on the Lakers could stop him. 4. Remember if Rasheed does not work well with our team, he could leave as a free agent, and we would have that much money to acquire someone else. 5. If you are hoping EG will become a superstar, you have to ask why hasn't he done so already. Superstars have desire to dominate the game, does he have that desire? 6. If the Rockets management wanted him, they have all the resources available to pull the trigger on the trade to make it work money wise, and player wise for both teams. 7. Rasheeds value on the market had dropped considerably, even though in my opinion two years ago, he was the best player in the league, yes only second to Shaq. The last year his game has faded is probably because he has lost desire. By coming to the Rockets, its a new chapter, a new chance to acquire that desire.
Yeah, cause no NBA team's ever taken on a contract based on one good season... If we don't trade Cato it'll be because we didn't like the offer, not because the offers aren't there. As surprising as it may be (and it is to me too), he's a valuable commodity in today's league. And we're not trying to get out from under his contract anymore unless we get good value back.
Um, because he's their starting power forward? He has played a lot of backup center there, but he's not a starting center.
If the Blazers make this trade they're idiots. A good BACKUP center and an under performing sorry excuse of a pf for their star player instead of an up and coming pf in K-Mart and a proven STARTING center in Deke. I know Deke didn't play much last year but he didnt go from starting in the all-star game to 12th man because he's old. He simpley didn't get along with the coach. If the Blazers want a defensive center, who out there is better than Deke?
They just had an old overpaid center and KMart will demand big $$ or he's gone when he is a free agent. The NJ deal doesn't offer to much for the future it would only work for this year. They presomaly have a starting pf in Randolph and would gain big time D at the two bigmen spots if we did this trade. We would lose our defensive strenght but would gain a mojr offensive weapon.
Exactly as alley-oop said, Our offer of EG and Cato might not be immediately better than KMart and DM, but in the long run it is. EG and Cato have a lot more potential than Kmart and Dm, and when their contract expires they can't ask for big money as much as Kmart is right now.
The problem with the Nets deal is that the Blazers would have to offer K-Mart the MAX or lose him in a season, and also pay Deke 30M over 2 seasons. They're looking to cut a bit of salary. I'm not saying the proposed Houston trade would work, I'm just saying Portland would prefer it over the nets deal. Rice (expires with Sabonis, a combined 16M cap relief) Griffin (Although dissapointing, he's on rookie scale, has potential) Cato (Barely overpaid, can be a great duo with Davis) However, if it's cap relief they're looking for, Rasheed comes off the books next year and isn't unhappy. If they really don't want to go into the season without a backup C, and with the face of the JailBlazers (Rasheed) still on the team then they may do this deal. It's doubtful though. I would go ahead and offer a much more lucrative package: Cato Griffin Rice Mobley for Rasheed McInnis Patterson What I'm banking on is that Portland are eager to unload their old image, which is what all 3 of those players represent. Mind you, we're taking a big gamble on these players, as they have all had their offcourt problems. However, no one can deny their talent and production: Yao/Rasheed/MoT Rasheed/MoT Patterson/Griffin/Boki Francis/Pike McInnis/Francis/Mooch McInnis and patterson are excellent role players, and play extra hard. There would be plenty of minutes for MoT and Rasheed, however, I'd probably keep Badiane on the bench just in case. Rasheed and Mo have both played C before, and were both relatively effective. Francis would be at the 2, but would still be dominating the ball, as with all great backcourt players, but McInnis provides a steadying presence, and another PG who is more adept at passing the ball into the post hopefully (much like an Eric Snow).
