Outlaw, Blazers will stay together
The team fulfills its vow, signing the free agent small forward to a three-year, $12 million contract Wednesday, July 18, 2007JOE FREEMAN The Oregonian Staff
The Trail Blazers took another step toward solidifying their roster Tuesday when the organization made good on its promise to retain free agent Travis Outlaw, signing the 22-year-old small forward to a three-year contract.
Details of the deal were not immediately available, but Bill Duffy, Outlaw's agent, told The Oregonian that the contract is worth roughly $12 million. Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard would not comment Tuesday.
"Travis is really excited with where the team is going, with the direction and enthusiasm, and he wants to play a great role in that and continue to develop," Duffy said. "Quite frankly, Travis was not pushing me that hard to look in other directions."
Duffy said "three or four" teams expressed interest in Outlaw but that his client wanted to stay in Portland for several reasons, including the opportunity to be part of an up-and-coming organization that has rookie of the year Brandon Roy, all-rookie first team member LaMarcus Aldridge and 2007 No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden.
And, perhaps most important, Outlaw embraced the opportunity to start next season. Outlaw, who figures to compete with Martell Webster and newly acquired James Jones for the starting small forward job, has started just 14 games in his four-year career.
"Portland has been a good fit for him," Duffy said. "They drafted him, developed him. He came in as a 17-year-old high school player and there have been ups and downs. But it looks like they are on an upward trend and he wants to continue to be a part of that. He has a chance to start and he's surrounded by a great coaching staff. It's really a win-win situation."
Outlaw, who did not return a phone message Tuesday seeking comment, split time at small forward and power forward last season, when he had career-high averages in points (9.6), rebounds (3.2), blocks (1.1) and minutes played (22.9).
The deal looks like a good value for the Blazers. A gifted 6-foot-9 athlete known for his remarkable leaping ability, Outlaw showed flashes of breaking out last season. He averaged 17.5 points during the Blazers' final 11 games -- after the team's roster had been decimated by injuries -- and scored a career-high 36 points during a season-ending loss to Golden State.
By signing a three-year deal, Duffy said, Outlaw could be setting himself up for a sizable payday just as he enters the prime of his career.
"With a shorter-term deal, Travis will be 25 or 26 years old when the deal comes up," Duffy said. "He has a great opportunity ahead because we think Travis has a lot ahead in terms of development and three years from now he will hit his peak. But that's a long time off. He felt this was the best situation right now."
Besides, because Outlaw was a restricted free agent, the Blazers were allowed to match offers from other teams and Pritchard and coach Nate McMillan have said for weeks that they planned to match any such offer. That hurdle might have prevented more teams from entering the bidding.
With Outlaw's signing, Ime Udoka's future with the Blazers could be in jeopardy. The Blazers now have the NBA maximum 15 players under contract, which seems to mean that Pritchard will have to make a trade or someone will have to be cut for Udoka to fit into Portland's plans for next season.
"This kind of raises the question: 'Hey, what about Ime?' " said Erin Cowan, Udoka's agent. "That's the story line. Hey, what about Ime? And to be honest, I don't know. But you know what? It's not our decision. That's (the Blazers') decision. The ball has always been in their court."
Cowan said there are multiple teams that have expressed interest in Udoka, but he would not confirm or deny that one of them is San Antonio, as has been rumored. Cowan said that Udoka's preference always has been to remain in Portland -- where he grew up and attended Jefferson High School and Portland State -- but he was told by the Blazers that Outlaw was the first focus.
"Travis was their top priority and after that Ime was supposed to be addressed," Cowan said. "Now we're just waiting for the dominoes to fall. Are they all in place? I don't know."
What is known is that Outlaw will continue to wear a Blazers uniform for at least three more seasons.
"He has a chance to start and solidify himself," Duffy said. "He's comfortable with Nate and they're comfortable with him. It's a good fit."
The team fulfills its vow, signing the free agent small forward to a three-year, $12 million contract Wednesday, July 18, 2007JOE FREEMAN The Oregonian Staff
The Trail Blazers took another step toward solidifying their roster Tuesday when the organization made good on its promise to retain free agent Travis Outlaw, signing the 22-year-old small forward to a three-year contract.
Details of the deal were not immediately available, but Bill Duffy, Outlaw's agent, told The Oregonian that the contract is worth roughly $12 million. Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard would not comment Tuesday.
"Travis is really excited with where the team is going, with the direction and enthusiasm, and he wants to play a great role in that and continue to develop," Duffy said. "Quite frankly, Travis was not pushing me that hard to look in other directions."
Duffy said "three or four" teams expressed interest in Outlaw but that his client wanted to stay in Portland for several reasons, including the opportunity to be part of an up-and-coming organization that has rookie of the year Brandon Roy, all-rookie first team member LaMarcus Aldridge and 2007 No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden.
And, perhaps most important, Outlaw embraced the opportunity to start next season. Outlaw, who figures to compete with Martell Webster and newly acquired James Jones for the starting small forward job, has started just 14 games in his four-year career.
"Portland has been a good fit for him," Duffy said. "They drafted him, developed him. He came in as a 17-year-old high school player and there have been ups and downs. But it looks like they are on an upward trend and he wants to continue to be a part of that. He has a chance to start and he's surrounded by a great coaching staff. It's really a win-win situation."
Outlaw, who did not return a phone message Tuesday seeking comment, split time at small forward and power forward last season, when he had career-high averages in points (9.6), rebounds (3.2), blocks (1.1) and minutes played (22.9).
The deal looks like a good value for the Blazers. A gifted 6-foot-9 athlete known for his remarkable leaping ability, Outlaw showed flashes of breaking out last season. He averaged 17.5 points during the Blazers' final 11 games -- after the team's roster had been decimated by injuries -- and scored a career-high 36 points during a season-ending loss to Golden State.
By signing a three-year deal, Duffy said, Outlaw could be setting himself up for a sizable payday just as he enters the prime of his career.
"With a shorter-term deal, Travis will be 25 or 26 years old when the deal comes up," Duffy said. "He has a great opportunity ahead because we think Travis has a lot ahead in terms of development and three years from now he will hit his peak. But that's a long time off. He felt this was the best situation right now."
Besides, because Outlaw was a restricted free agent, the Blazers were allowed to match offers from other teams and Pritchard and coach Nate McMillan have said for weeks that they planned to match any such offer. That hurdle might have prevented more teams from entering the bidding.
With Outlaw's signing, Ime Udoka's future with the Blazers could be in jeopardy. The Blazers now have the NBA maximum 15 players under contract, which seems to mean that Pritchard will have to make a trade or someone will have to be cut for Udoka to fit into Portland's plans for next season.
"This kind of raises the question: 'Hey, what about Ime?' " said Erin Cowan, Udoka's agent. "That's the story line. Hey, what about Ime? And to be honest, I don't know. But you know what? It's not our decision. That's (the Blazers') decision. The ball has always been in their court."
Cowan said there are multiple teams that have expressed interest in Udoka, but he would not confirm or deny that one of them is San Antonio, as has been rumored. Cowan said that Udoka's preference always has been to remain in Portland -- where he grew up and attended Jefferson High School and Portland State -- but he was told by the Blazers that Outlaw was the first focus.
"Travis was their top priority and after that Ime was supposed to be addressed," Cowan said. "Now we're just waiting for the dominoes to fall. Are they all in place? I don't know."
What is known is that Outlaw will continue to wear a Blazers uniform for at least three more seasons.
"He has a chance to start and solidify himself," Duffy said. "He's comfortable with Nate and they're comfortable with him. It's a good fit."
