the portland trailblazers
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Ric Bucher wrote in a recent Twitter post that the Trail Blazers are interested in both Andre Miller and Hedo Turkoglu.
Apparently any deal for Miller would be a sign-and-trade, sending Steve Blake to the 76ers, whereas the Blazers would sign Turkoglu as a free agent. Both players would be a nice fit in Portland, which has been seeking a veteran playmaker for some time. Stay tuned.
Apparently any deal for Miller would be a sign-and-trade, sending Steve Blake to the 76ers, whereas the Blazers would sign Turkoglu as a free agent. Both players would be a nice fit in Portland, which has been seeking a veteran playmaker for some time. Stay tuned.
^^^^rondo wouldn't fit the "culture"kp preaches so heavily but yea its prolly gonna be somebody nobodys talkin about. nj is supposedly in salary dump mode and has made harris available to any western team willing to take on bobby simmons ridiculous contract in exchange for young talent and immediate cap relief....just sayin...
and it begins....................
Blazers pursue Hedo Turkoglu as NBA free agency opens
Posted by Jason Quick, The Oregonian June 30, 2009 22:52PM
Categories: Breaking News, Free Agency, NBA
John Raoux/The Associated PressThe Blazers appear interested in signing Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists last season.
The Trail Blazers' summer agenda was revealed late Tuesday night at the minute the free agent market opened. That's when general manager Kevin Pritchard and assistant general manager Tom Penn called agent Lon Babby to begin the courtship of small forward Hedo Turkoglu.
"Kevin Pritchard and Tom Penn called me at the earliest possible moment and expressed enthusiasm for engaging in discussions about Hedo becoming a Trail Blazer," Babby said late Tuesday night. "We have begun that process."
Pritchard said he first contacted guard Brandon Roy and forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who both are seeking contract extensions with the Blazers, before inquiring about Turkoglu.
Turkoglu, 30, is a 6-foot-10 shooter who this season helped Orlando reach the NBA Finals. He averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. The nine-year veteran is regarded as a perimeter shooter but is coming off a season when he made just 41.3 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from three-point range.
His stock rose dramatically in the playoffs, when he became the go-to player in the Magic's playoff push. He averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 24 playoff games, shooting 42.7 percent rrom the field and 38.6 percent from three-point range.
Teams were allowed to contact free agents and their represenatives starting at midnight Eastern time, or 9 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday. There is a one-week moratorium on signings, with July 8 being the first day players can sign.
The Blazers entered the free agent market as one of the major players, being one of five teams that expect to be under the league's salary cap, which will be set on July 7. The Blazers payroll is at $50 million, which is expected to be around $8 million under the cap. The Blazers also have the ability to free up $1.7 million in additional cap room by renouncing the rights to former first-round picks Petteri Koponen and Joel Freeland, both of whom are playing overseas.
Babby said the Blazers were one of three teams that inquired about Turkoglu's services, but that "the calls were still coming in." It appeared the Blazers' ability to get their call in first made an impression.
"They were enthusiastic and well received by us," Babby said. "We are engaged in the process. We will see where that takes us in the next couple of days and take it from there."
Turkoglu is from Turkey and began his NBA career in 2000-2001 in Sacramento, where he played four seasons. He spent the past five seasons in Orlando, with his best season coming in 2007-2008, when he was selected the NBA's most improved player after averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
-- Jason Quick; [email protected]
Blazers pursue Hedo Turkoglu as NBA free agency opens
Posted by Jason Quick, The Oregonian June 30, 2009 22:52PM
Categories: Breaking News, Free Agency, NBA
John Raoux/The Associated PressThe Blazers appear interested in signing Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists last season.
The Trail Blazers' summer agenda was revealed late Tuesday night at the minute the free agent market opened. That's when general manager Kevin Pritchard and assistant general manager Tom Penn called agent Lon Babby to begin the courtship of small forward Hedo Turkoglu.
"Kevin Pritchard and Tom Penn called me at the earliest possible moment and expressed enthusiasm for engaging in discussions about Hedo becoming a Trail Blazer," Babby said late Tuesday night. "We have begun that process."
Pritchard said he first contacted guard Brandon Roy and forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who both are seeking contract extensions with the Blazers, before inquiring about Turkoglu.
Turkoglu, 30, is a 6-foot-10 shooter who this season helped Orlando reach the NBA Finals. He averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. The nine-year veteran is regarded as a perimeter shooter but is coming off a season when he made just 41.3 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from three-point range.
His stock rose dramatically in the playoffs, when he became the go-to player in the Magic's playoff push. He averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 24 playoff games, shooting 42.7 percent rrom the field and 38.6 percent from three-point range.
Teams were allowed to contact free agents and their represenatives starting at midnight Eastern time, or 9 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday. There is a one-week moratorium on signings, with July 8 being the first day players can sign.
The Blazers entered the free agent market as one of the major players, being one of five teams that expect to be under the league's salary cap, which will be set on July 7. The Blazers payroll is at $50 million, which is expected to be around $8 million under the cap. The Blazers also have the ability to free up $1.7 million in additional cap room by renouncing the rights to former first-round picks Petteri Koponen and Joel Freeland, both of whom are playing overseas.
Babby said the Blazers were one of three teams that inquired about Turkoglu's services, but that "the calls were still coming in." It appeared the Blazers' ability to get their call in first made an impression.
"They were enthusiastic and well received by us," Babby said. "We are engaged in the process. We will see where that takes us in the next couple of days and take it from there."
Turkoglu is from Turkey and began his NBA career in 2000-2001 in Sacramento, where he played four seasons. He spent the past five seasons in Orlando, with his best season coming in 2007-2008, when he was selected the NBA's most improved player after averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
-- Jason Quick; [email protected]
Portland's pursuit of a certain player from Turkey has infuriated the Trail Blazers' lone remaining Spanish player, Rudy Fernandez, to the point where he'd prefer to play in Greece, Russia or even Spain again, ESPN.com learned Tuesday.
Fernandez
A league source told ESPN.com that Fernandez has already been courted informally by European powerhouses Olympiacos, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and CSKA Moscow as word spread that the Blazers had become the apparent front-runners to land free agent Hedo Turkoglu.
Fernandez, who paid more than $500,000 of his own money to buy his way out of his contract with DKV Joventut, believes he can earn 5 million euros per season if he signs a three-year contract in Europe. He is due to make $1.1 million from the Blazers next season.
The problem for Fernandez from a leverage standpoint is that he is entering the second year of his NBA rookie contract, and the Blazers have the option to re-sign him for a third and/or fourth season. Fernandez would have to be released from his NBA contract in order to receive a letter of clearance from FIBA, the sport's international governing body, to play elsewhere.
The Blazers have been made aware of Fernandez's feelings, the source said. The source added that Fernandez has not formally requested a trade but has expressed his dissatisfaction with the way he was used by Portland coach Nate McMillan over the course of his rookie season. Fernandez averaged 26 minutes off the bench and scored 10.2 points per game, rarely handling the ball or acting as an offensive initiator -- two of Turkoglu's specialties.
If the Blazers were to sign Turkoglu, it could leave Fernandez in a reduced role -- backing up Brandon Roy at the two-guard spot and getting fewer minutes at small forward, where Fernandez and Travis Outlaw backed up Nicolas Batum last season.
Portland only recently severed its tied with its other Spanish player, dealing point guard Sergio Rodriguez to Sacramento on draft night last Thursday after Rodriguez spent three years with the Blazers as the second- and sometimes third-string point guard.
Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
Fernandez
A league source told ESPN.com that Fernandez has already been courted informally by European powerhouses Olympiacos, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and CSKA Moscow as word spread that the Blazers had become the apparent front-runners to land free agent Hedo Turkoglu.
Fernandez, who paid more than $500,000 of his own money to buy his way out of his contract with DKV Joventut, believes he can earn 5 million euros per season if he signs a three-year contract in Europe. He is due to make $1.1 million from the Blazers next season.
The problem for Fernandez from a leverage standpoint is that he is entering the second year of his NBA rookie contract, and the Blazers have the option to re-sign him for a third and/or fourth season. Fernandez would have to be released from his NBA contract in order to receive a letter of clearance from FIBA, the sport's international governing body, to play elsewhere.
The Blazers have been made aware of Fernandez's feelings, the source said. The source added that Fernandez has not formally requested a trade but has expressed his dissatisfaction with the way he was used by Portland coach Nate McMillan over the course of his rookie season. Fernandez averaged 26 minutes off the bench and scored 10.2 points per game, rarely handling the ball or acting as an offensive initiator -- two of Turkoglu's specialties.
If the Blazers were to sign Turkoglu, it could leave Fernandez in a reduced role -- backing up Brandon Roy at the two-guard spot and getting fewer minutes at small forward, where Fernandez and Travis Outlaw backed up Nicolas Batum last season.
Portland only recently severed its tied with its other Spanish player, dealing point guard Sergio Rodriguez to Sacramento on draft night last Thursday after Rodriguez spent three years with the Blazers as the second- and sometimes third-string point guard.
Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.