| 11 July 2009
It’s not a matter of if the Utah Jazz match Portland’s offer to Paul Millsap, but simply when.
As Gordon Monson – a columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune – wrote Saturday night, the Jazz should re-sign Millsap and trade Carlos Boozer for a defender that would better suit Jerry Sloan’s offense....and Utah has said all along they are committed to matching a Millsap offer.
So that takes care of Utah. But for Portland there are basically three trains of thought in rebounding from what could be another rejection. Some of you have heard me talk about this idea the last two days, and for those that haven’t, here goes:
After Utah matches Portland’s offer of four years between $32 and $36 million, including a signing bonus to Millsap, the Blazers may once again turn their attention to New York Knicks free agent forward David Lee.
Brandon Bass was thought to be the back-up plan if the Millsap deal didn’t happen. But now that Bass inked with the Orlando Magic on Friday, Lee becomes a repeated target in the same vain as Millsap: for the blue-collar work ethic and sheer bruising scrappiness.
The trouble there is Lee isn’t going to come cheap or want a back-up gig. Not at all. Even still, the Knicks are planning to match any “reasonable” offer he receives, but at this point it’s hard to determine what is “reasonable” any more after Cleveland’s Anderson Varejo and Detroit’s Charlie Villanueva both received bloated contracts.
That brings us to the second option: Marvin Williams.
The offers haven’t exactly been flowing for Williams since free agency got underway. Atlanta is clearly not making him a priority any longer. The Hawks instead opted to throw money at Zaza Pachulia and Mike Bibby. I get Pachulia. I don’t get Bibby. There were also talks weeks ago that General Manager Rick Sund wanted to bring in Washington’s Caron Butler, but that has since fallen to the way side – right along with Williams returning to Atlanta apparently.
Williams’ agent Jim Tanner met with the Hawks recently, but that discussion was only about a one-year qualifying offer and nothing more. That would push Marvin’s salary to $7 million.
Would Portland ante-up for a longer deal for Williams?
Four years into the league, he’s not the veteran type Nate McMillan has been pushing for over the past two summers, but at 23-years-old would certainly mature with the core of Brandon Roy, Jerryd Bayless, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden among others. At 6’9 and 240 pounds, Williams – who averaged 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 61 games played - is one of those versatile players who could fill in at power forward and also creates mismatches at small forward in spot minutes.
This would once again leave Travis Outlaw expendable.
What else is new?
Because after Williams, the choice is clear and isn’t going to sit well with Rip City die-hards.
Do nothing at all and wait patiently to make a trade happen later in the offseason, if at all.
pic via: nydaily news
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