| 28 February 2011
Update: Jarron Collins is officially a Blazer once again and took part in Portland's walk through porttion of practice according to the Oregonian's Joe Freeman.
Collins was inked to a 10-day contract, and he 6'11 vet is going to be more than just an insurance policy for Portland.
“In a situation like this, when you’re bringing in new guys, it helps that these guys have been in the league, they pretty much know sets and systems and how to play basketball,” coach Nate McMillan said. “So they pick up things pretty quickly. And the fact that he’s a big body, he’s healthy and ready to go — we like him.”
Now with Collins in camp, Portland continues to wait for T.J. Ford's buyout from the Indiana Pacers -- which now appears "unlikely" according to multiple reports.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports agent Bob Myers - who also represents Jarron Collins and Brandon Roy in partnership with Arn Tellem - won't be bought out from Indiana with the midnight deadline approcaching.
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Update: It appears the Blazers are planning on using one of their available roster spots to sign Jarron Collins to a 10-day contact.
From John Conzano on Twitter: "Source: Jarron Collins is Portland bound #pdxtrailblazers"
From Joe Freeman on Twitter: "Jarron Collins is 'hoping to sign a 10-day contract in the near future' with the Trail Blazers, according to his agent, Bob Myers."
Collins is a 6'11'' and 249 lbs. center who has been in the league for ten years. He started his career in Utah and stayed there for eight years before becoming a free agent. In 2009, Collins played with the Blazers during preseason, but then was cut in favor of Patty Mills for the 15th spot on the roster. He was picked up by the Phoenix Suns, however, and stayed with the team for 34 games, starting 10 of them. Most recently, Collins was signed to the Los Angeles Clippers on January 7th, 2011 on a 10-day contract. He then followed that up by signing a second 10-day contract with the Clippers on January 17th.
Collins holds career averages of 15.9 minutes per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, 0.2 blocks per game, and 3.9 points per game. But while Collins' stats hardly stand out, remember that he's only going to be expected to play about 5-10 minutes on average and therefore hardly needs to be anything more than a big body who can take up space in the paint and use fouls if necessary.
(Original Post)
With the recent Gerald Wallace acquisition, the Blazers traded away three players and only received one in return, opening up two extra roster spots. The obvious immediate need is a backup center, but the Blazers could also use a backup point guard to spell Andre Miller for stretches.
Here is a list of all of the top players that may potentially get bought out by their respective teams, along with a list of D-League players that could also fill a roster spot:
Potential Buyouts
TJ Ford – Point Guard – Indiana Pacers
Why the Blazers should pursue him: Ford lives in Texas during the offseason and has experience playing with LaMarcus Aldridge thanks to their summer basketball games. He would also be an upgrade over current backups Patty Mills and Armon Johnson, providing additional experience and leadership. Although having Roy back nullifies some of the need for another backup, it’d still be advantageous to sign Ford for lineup creativity and for extra insurance in case of an injury to Miller.
What’s most likely to happen: Reports indicate the Blazers will sign Ford. Supposedly Ford is looking for a multi-year deal, which could complicate the negotiation process, but all signs are pointing towards him soon becoming a Blazer.
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Mike Bibby – Point Guard – New Jersey Nets
Why the Blazers should pursue him: Similar to Ford, Bibby would become the immediate backup to starter Andre Miller and could provide the Blazers with valuable experience during a playoff run.
What’s most likely to happen: Bibby will sign in Miami. There is still a chance the New Jersey Nets will keep him, but if Bibby does successfully negotiate a buyout, expect him to head over to a title contender. The Blazers have expressed interest, but it's more likely that he'll sign with either Miami, Boston, or Chicago.
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Troy Murphy – Forward/Center – Golden State Warriors
Why the Blazers should pursue him: Out of all players expected to be bought out, Murphy is the most coveted. He can rebound well, can spread the floor and shoot the three, and would allow Camby and Aldridge to spend more time on the bench to rest.
What’s most likely to happen: Murphy will sign in either Boston or Miami. All teams looking to add players will start with Murphy near the top of their lists. Multiple contender teams have been rumored to be interested, including Miami and Boston. The Blazers have reportedly also inquired, but it’s looking like Murphy will head east and pursue a championship.
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Earl Barron - Center - Phoenix Suns
Why the Blazers should pursue him: Barron was linked to the Blazers earlier in the year when the team was looking to sign another center. However, Portland chose Sean Marks over Barron at the time. Barron saw success with the Knicks at the end of last year and also has seen valuable playing time this season with the Suns.
What’s most likely to happen: Barron will sign in either Portland or New York. As of now, Barron is looking like Portland's number one target. However, New York is also rumored to have shown interest. If he decides between the two, he may choose New York because of his familiarity with the team.
Update: Earl Barron has been signed to a 10-day contract by the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Leon Powe – Forward – Cleveland Cavaliers
Why the Blazers should pursue him: Although Powe has had a history of injuries, he would still be a better alternative than many of the D-League options. He also has valuable playoff experience from his time in Boston when they won a championship.
What’s most likely to happen: Powe will sign in Boston. The Grizzlies, Knicks, and Celtics have all expressed interest in Powe, but he’s almost sure to sign with his old team, the Celtics.
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Dan Gadzuric – Center – New Jersey Nets
Why the Blazers should pursue him: Although not quite as promising of a signing when compared to a few of the other big men available, Gadzuric would fill in fine during spot minutes as a big body in the paint.
What’s most likely to happen: Gazduric is expected to be pursued by all of the contenders looking for more frontcourt depth, but would most likely be a considered a consolation prize after Murphy chooses between Miami and Boston.
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Sean Marks – Center – Charlotte Bobcats
Why the Blazers should pursue him: Marks has been with the Blazers for the majority of the season and is already familiar with the team and its offense. Although he's not very physical for a center, Marks can hit midrange jumpers and the Blazers could use him in spot minutes as they have been all year.
What’s most likely to happen: The Bobcats initially planned to waive Marks, but are now considering bringing him back to add more center depth to the team in case Przybilla suffers any injuries. If they choose not to bring him back, there's also a possibility that Marks would re-sign with Portland. After all, the Blazers chose Marks over D-League alternatives earlier in the season. However, the team will have to wait a full 30 days from the initial date of the trade before being able to finalize a deal, making the signing unlikely.
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Miscellaneous Potential Buyouts/Available Players
Chris Johnson – Center – Boston Celtics
Johnson would be an ideal backup center to Camby, but the Celtics unfortunately swooped in and signed him first. However, they only signed him to a 10-day contract, meaning he could become available if they choose to let him go and roll with Murphy and Powe, instead.
Jared Jeffries – Forward – Houston Rockets
Jeffries would be a decent player to pursue, but he’s already set on signing with the Knicks.
Jason Kapono – Small Forward – Philadephia 76ers
The Blazers need more size, making small forward Kapono irrelevant in Portland.
Sasha Pavlovic – Small Forward – Cleveland Cavaliers
Similar to Kapono, Pavlovic doesn’t fit a need on the Blazers due to his position.
Rasual Butler – Small Forward – Los Angeles Clippers
See Kapono, Pavlovic.
Eddy Curry – Center – Minnesota Timberwolves
There are probably better options in the D-League than Curry.
Steven Hill – Center – NA
One-time Blazer, Hill officially retired from the NBA in November of last year.
Rasheed Wallace – Forward – NA
Although rumored to be interested in coming back to the NBA, this is a highly unlikely option. Even if Wallace did choose to come back, it would probably be to play in Boston, not Portland.
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D-League Big Men Available (with links to their D-League Player Bios)
Joe Alexander
photos: getty images and ap
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