Author Topic: Portland Blazers And Nets Talking... Kidd May End Up Back In The West Coast?  (Read 88 times)

Halu Sination

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Kidd likely story as Nets talk to Blazers
With Damon Stoudamire and Derek Anderson in shooting slumps, Portland appears to be weighing its trade options
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
JASON QUICK
Two old friends are taking a train trip from New York City to Philadelphia on Wednesday, during which the fate of the Trail Blazers' season could hang in the balance.

Blazers general manager John Nash and New Jersey Nets general manager Ed Stefanski -- longtime friends from their days in Philadelphia -- will take the hourlong train ride together, ostensibly as a scouting foray from today's Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden to the Temple-Pennsylvania game Wednesday in Philadelphia.

But somewhere along the line, the conversation undoubtedly will turn to the health and tradability of Jason Kidd, the Nets' All-Star point guard. Last week, Nash said that monitoring Kidd's recovery from knee surgery is on his to-do list this week.

Kidd was activated Monday before the Nets' home game against Toronto, and although Nash said he probably wouldn't arrive in New York in time to watch Kidd play Monday, he said it was his duty as a general manager to keep on top of the story.

And Kidd's recovery figures to be a story for the Blazers as they continue to weather the spiraling season of point guard Damon Stoudamire, who is shooting 34.2 percent from the field, the second lowest percentage among NBA starting point guards (Houston's Charlie Ward is at 31.2 percent).

Earlier this season, Blazers President Steve Patterson confirmed that the Blazers had talks with New Jersey about trading Kidd to Portland for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. And more recent speculation has it that New Jersey might be willing to part with Kidd for Stoudamire's expiring contract and a first-round pick. Exactly what has been talked about remains unclear, but before the Blazers' Nov. 28 game against New Jersey at the Rose Garden, Patterson, Nash and Nets President Rod Thorn met for 45 minutes in the Rose Garden stands, although Patterson described the meeting as friendly chatter.

Stoudamire's slump and Kidd's return come at a time when it appears the Blazers' patience with an underachieving team that is 8-8 is being tested. Maurice Cheeks, a players' coach who historically backs his team through thick and thin, said he is considering changing the starting lineup after Sunday's 22-point home loss to Phoenix, the second time this season the Blazers have been beaten badly at home.

And as the fans stay away from the Rose Garden -- the average attendance (16,159) is at an all-time low through eight home games -- the remaining diehards are clamoring for some kind of change.

Contributing to that growing impatience has been the constant trade rumors hovering around the Blazers, who reportedly have been involved in talks with Toronto involving Vince Carter, and the earlier talks involving Kidd.

That buzz has piqued the interests of Abdur-Rahim and Derek Anderson -- the principal parties involved in the trade talks -- both of whom ended recent interviews by asking if there were any developments on the trade front.

Nash continues to stick to his "no comment" policy on trades, and when asked about a rumor that the Carter talks again had picked up this weekend, he sarcastically bellowed that some members of the Portland media "already had that trade completed two weeks ago."

Meanwhile, Cheeks this week said he doubts the Blazers will acquire Carter, presumably because the deal would have to include Jalen Rose, requiring the Blazers to take on $77.8 million in salary over the next three years.

That leads to Kidd, who has five years and $90.2 million left on his contract. Although his contract is not conducive to the Blazers' cost-cutting plans, Kidd has the star power to lure fans back, and before his injury, he was considered the best point guard in the game -- both qualities that are thought to be temptations for owner Paul Allen.

Allen on Sunday sat in what appeared to be stunned silence as two realities became clear: The Blazers guards can't shoot, and in one season, the Phoenix Suns have turned a last-place team into a contender.

The air in the Blazers' locker room is one of caution as the players stress that 16 games into a season is too early to be talking about lineup changes and painting a gloom-and-doom picture.

"What we are doing now has nothing to do with the lineup or the rotation," Abdur-Rahim said. "We just have to be more mentally tough. I've been in situations like this when the tendency is to over-dramatize, but it's such a long season, and you are going to have spans when you are not in the flow and you are not hitting shots. To me, at times like this you have to keep pulling for the guys and stay the course. It's not like we don't have talented and capable people."

But the question is how long does Cheeks -- and Nash, for that matter -- stay the course with a roster dotted with underachieving players? Stoudamire's slump coincides with Anderson's second consecutive subpar season. After recording the lowest field goal percentage of a starting shooting guard last season (37.6), Anderson is shooting 38.4 percent this season -- third-lowest among the league's starting shooting guards.

Meanwhile, guard Nick Van Exel only has provided glimpses of good play, center Theo Ratliff has all but disappeared as a shot-blocking presence, and Darius Miles has been sloppy and sporadic at best.

On Monday, however, Cheeks seemed to back off his threat of changing the starting lineup -- at one point asking what he could do, followed by yet another endorsement of the shooting ability of Stoudamire and Anderson.

It was suggested that he could start Van Exel at point guard -- which Cheeks shot down because Van Exel is questionable for Thursday's game with a hip injury. It also was suggested that Ruben Patterson or Miles could start at shooting guard; or Randolph could move to center, Abdur-Rahim to power forward and Miles to small forward.

"I've thought about all kinds of things," Cheeks said.

But Cheeks said he will not move Ratliff out of the starting lineup and he will not move Miles into the shooting guard spot.

Cheeks did, however, say that rookie point guard Sebastian Telfair could see more playing time, particularly if Van Exel's hip keeps him out. On Sunday, Telfair had nine points -- all from the free throw line -- and two assists in 16 minutes of mop-up time.

Now, the question is whether Nash and the Blazers are afraid to make a move. Cheeks will not touch questions regarding personnel changes -- citing allegiance to his current players -- and, like Abdur-Rahim, he wants to temper any notion that the Blazers are entering a crisis.

"I mean, come on. We shouldn't overstate all this," Cheeks said. "Before Saturday and Sunday, we were playing pretty good basketball. Then we ran up against Seattle and Phoenix -- two pretty good teams -- and we got beat. We just have to get back to work."

And Wednesday, some 3,000 miles away, a train whistle will blow, and two old friends will be boarding, preparing for a conversation.

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1102424250156630.xml
 

Halu Sination

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damn blazers have too much money and too much talent on their team, they get so many trade offers because other general managers see the talent lying around doing nothing over there, and they know blazers can afford whatever players they throw at them

although this trade would be a good move for blazers, portland is where all the stars dissappear. it MIGHT not be the same scenario for jason kidd, but if vince carter or jalen rose end up in portland, you aint gonna hear from them again. except when they pick up the weed-smokin habits and you see them on the news, lol
 

PLANT

This is the same deal they were tryng to get Vince Carter for.  I wouldnt want to see Kidd playing for Portland  :'(