| 15 February 2010
You have to hand it to the Dallas Mavericks.
They not only added a premier former All-Star forward after acquiring Caron Butler from the Washington Wizards, which also netted them big man Brendan Haywood – a center the Portland Trail Blazers reportedly attempted to acquire – but Dallas majorly complicated matters for other playoff hungry teams out West.
Talk about a double whammy.
“The Mavs deal hurts us,” said a person associated with the Portland Trail Blazers, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Man, they got better. I’m sure Denver is a little worried about that trade too. Now, Amare’ (Stoudemire) to the Cavs….that would help us.”
But will Portland help themselves?
After Sunday, there will be three days left before the NBA trade deadline expires. And as the Blazers continue to have their name circulated around the rumor mill – with the Luke Walton and Sasha Vuajcic to Portland deal holding little to no weight – the deadline could once again come and go with Portland remaining inactive.
The talk is always there during this time of year. Think we all remember what happened last season at this time when the whole league waited for Portland to move Raef LaFrentz hefty expiring contract at the deadline.
It never happened.
The truth is – and I touched on this last week as teams began showing interest in Steve Blake – that Kevin Pritchard isn’t a risk taker when it comes to in-season moves. He prescribed to that philosophy weeks prior to last February’s trade deadline and it’s not farfetched to think Pritchard will stick to those guns this time around.
"Doing a deal during the season, there are risks where the fits aren't good," Pritchard admitted to me back then.
"If you get a guy during the summer, he has the whole training camp, the summer and he has to get comfortable. So there is a certain element of risk in doing things during the season. You do a lot of your work to allow your coach to have as much success as he possibly can.
"We like our team.”
How many times have we heard Pritchard and Nate McMillan say that? How many times will we hear that four-word mantra over the next few days?
But the truth is, there is more risk now for Portland in trying to make a trade happen.
With Travis Outlaw returning from a broken foot, Portland doesn’t really have the pieces to work with to make a legit move, despite Outlaw's expiring contract ($3.6 million). They are not willing to part with Jerryd Bayless or Rudy Fernandez, two guys other teams are clamoring for. This leaves Steve Blake, maybe Jeff Pendergraph and/or Dante Cunningham, and a question mark in Outlaw and his foot as guys to move.
There is also a heavier risk not knowing how Brandon Roy is going to fair when he eventually comes back from his strained hamstring - whenever that is.
With Dallas making their move for the postseason, does Portland feel the pressure to make something happen? Perhaps.
But deep down the Blazers know they are not built to win this season. Every team plays gunning for a championship, not just to hopefully make the postseason. Portland knows this is just not their season, especially one worth trying to make a short-term fix for a man in the middle.
There is just too much at risk.
photo: ladiesdotdotdot
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