Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Stock Watch: Raymond Felton

June 4th, 2012 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

For every Goran Dragic or Ersan Ilyasova, players who explode just months before they hit unrestricted free agency, there's a Raymond Felton. Entering a contract year and his first season in Portland, Felton was poised to take over for Andre Miller as the Trail Blazers' point guard, but struggled mightily for a good chunk of the season, falling out of favor with the Portland faithful. It certainly wasn't the strongest contract year we've ever seen.

But Felton's 2011/12 campaign wasn't as bad as it inititally seemed it would be. His production improved when Kaleb Canales replaced head coach Nate McMillan, and a solid second half returned many of his numbers to near his career marks. His 11.4 PPG and 13.4 PER were still career worsts, but he finished the season on the right foot with April averages of 14.2 PPG and 7.7 APG on .460/.421/.923 shooting.

That late-season surge could earn Felton a couple extra million dollars this summer, but it likely wasn't enough to earn him a spot among the most coveted point guards on the free agent market. With Deron Williams leading the way, Steve Nash, Ramon Sessions, Dragic, and Miller headline the unrestricted options, while Jeremy Lin, D.J. Augustin, Aaron Brooks, and Jerryd Bayless are among those likely to be restricted free agents.

Of course, with so many point guards hitting free agency, that leaves a number of teams in need of a starter at the position. The Nets, Mavericks, Lakers, Heat, Knicks, Suns, Blazers, and Hornets are a few clubs expected to have a point guard at or near the top of their wishlists, while teams like the Hawks, Warriors, Bulls, and Bobcats could also be seeking a veteran at the position.

Though Felton expressed a desire in April to re-sign in Portland, I can't see him returning to the Blazers. After players like Williams, Nash, Lin, and Dragic are off the board, however, Felton could be one of the best values remaining at the point. He'll come cheaper than he did two summers ago, when he signed a two-year deal worth $14MM+, and based on his second-half performance, he seems to be a solid bounceback candidate.

In my view, the best fit for Felton could be on a contender where he'll be a complementary player rather than a top scoring option. Teams like the Lakers and Heat may target bigger names than Felton, but with only the taxpayer mid-level exception available to sign free agents, they're unlikely to be players for Williams, Nash, or other first-tier options. Adding Felton to Miami's rotation to split time with Mario Chalmers at the point, at a cost of $3MM, wouldn't be out of the question. It would be a good chance for Felton to rebuild his value, feeding LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, while finally giving the Heat the veteran point guard they've been missing for the past couple seasons.

Miami is far from the only potential landing spot for Felton, but it represents the kind of situation Felton should be seeking. A short-term deal with a contending team that wouldn't ask too much of him would allow the 27-year-old to put the 2011/12 season behind him and try to return to his previous level of production. If he's able to do that, he'd put himself in good position for a more lucrative contract a year or two from now.

—–

Latest On Steve Nash

June 4th, 2012 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

There was no shortage of Steve Nash updates this weekend, with one report suggesting the Suns view the Knicks, Raptors, and Nets as the top competitors for the free agent point guard, while another report indicated that the Bulls could be in the mix as well. According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, however, Nash is "still days away" from seriously considering his future. Stein and HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler each have a few notes on Nash, so let's round them up….

Trail Blazers Rumors: GM Finalists, Draft, Canales

June 3rd, 2012 at 8:54am CST by Daniel Seco

The Trail Blazers' search for a general manager became more difficult this week as we reported on Friday that Clippers GM Neil Olshey was being retained by Los Angeles. With the draft drawing closer and the team still without a permanent head coach, the Trail Blazers are expected to make a decision on both positions in the coming weeks. CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes has the latest news and rumors from Portland that sheds light on the future of the front office and sideline…

Odds & Ends: Raptors, Bobcats, Wroten

June 2nd, 2012 at 10:34pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With the eighth, 37th, and 56th selections in this upcoming NBA Draft, the Raptors could potentially draft three rookies in addition to bringing last year's draft pick, Jonas Valanciunas, into the fold for next season. Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld spoke with GM Bryan Colangelo, who is looking to explore multiple scenarios with his second round picks. Colangelo admits that bringing in three rookies may not be the best scenario, and that he will consider packaging picks in order to move up the draft board or possibly make a second round selection with the intention of developing that prospect in Europe for a few years. Here's more of what we're hearing from around the league this evening, including an update of the Bobcats head coaching search.

Odds & Ends: Gordon, Blazers, Mavs, Beal, Draft

June 1st, 2012 at 9:45pm CST by Alex Lee

Yesterday we heard that Eric Gordon would test free agency despite the Hornets winning the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. Gordon was back at it today, reiterating to John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayne his intentions to listen to offers once he is a restricted free agent on July 1.

Gordon did express some excitement about Davis, comparing his ability to catch lobs to his former teammate Blake Griffin. Gordon added, "I will still be open with my free agency to hear other opportunities. But like I said before, New Orleans has a very bright future to be a championship-caliber team soon."

With the Celtics up big in Boston, here are a few other notes from around the NBA:

Draft Rumors: Bobcats, Cavs, Kings, Blazers

June 1st, 2012 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

Following the Hornets' lottery win, ESPN.com's Chad Ford published his newest mock draft, which includes a handful of interesting scenarios, including Dion Waiters jumping to eighth overall and Austin Rivers slipping to 18th. With less than four weeks until draft day, Ford continues to talk to sources and visit workouts to get a better sense of how things will play out on June 28th. His latest draft blog (Insider link) explores potential options for the top 10 picks and is chock-full of interesting tidbits. Let's round up some of the highlights….

Northwest Notes: Chandler, Wolves, Blazers

June 1st, 2012 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Northwest Division's lone remaining team in the postseason, the Thunder showed last night that they weren't about to go down without a fight. In snapping San Antonio's win streak at 20 games, Oklahoma City made the Western Conference Finals a series again, and proved that the Spurs aren't quite as invincible as they seemed. While we wait for Game 4 tomorrow, here are a few notes out of the Northwest, including a Nuggets injury update and details on the Timberwolves' draft plans….

Amick On Bobcats, Sloan, Magic, Walsh, Blazers

May 31st, 2012 at 8:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this evening, we learned that former Lakers and Bulls coach Phil Jackson was approached with an offer from the Magic to join their front office. The basketball legend was reportedly considering the offer right up until this afternoon, when he informed Orlando that he would instead be taking another opportunity. As we anxiously await to see where the Zen Master lands, here's a look at the latest from Sam Amick of SportsIllustrated.com on other possibilities for the Magic and other news..

Teams Affected By The Lottery Results

May 31st, 2012 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's draft lottery played out nearly exactly as expected last night, given the odds. Only one team, the Hornets, moved up into the top three, with the top-ranked Bobcats, Wizards, and Cavaliers each sliding down a spot and the rest of the order holding to form. Despite the lack of drastic movement, the lottery results had major ramifications for a number of clubs besides the Hornets. Let's take a brief look at the teams whose fates were most affected by the ping pong balls….

Hornets: Of course, no team was a bigger winner on lottery night than the Hornets, who not only moved into position to snag Anthony Davis with the first overall pick, but have another top-10 pick that remained in place at #10. Davis will be the franchise-changer, but the Hornets' opportunity to add another lottery talent shouldn't be overlooked.
Bobcats: Charlotte went from potentially having the easiest decision of the draft to having one of the hardest, with the number two overall pick. Thomas Robinson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are probably the favorites to fall to the Bobcats, but players like Andre Drummond and Bradley Beal could be in the mix too. Whoever they pick with Davis off the board, the Bobcats will be adding a solid contributor rather than a franchise player.
Trail Blazers: Because the Nets failed to jump into the top three, the Blazers snagged their pick and now have the sixth and 11th selections. Considering the team has talked about wanting to contend immediately, it wouldn't be a shock to see one or both of those picks shopped for veteran help. Either way, Portland's trade of Gerald Wallace paid huge dividends last night.
Nets: On the other hand, the evening was a disaster for the Nets. While they had dreams of landing the number one overall pick and moving to Brooklyn with Davis on their roster – or trading him for Dwight Howard – now they're left without a first-rounder.
Magic: If and when the Magic trade Howard, they're not going to land an asset better than Davis, so I'd imagine Orlando was holding out hope that the Nets could luck into that top pick. After all, Brooklyn is probably the one lottery team that would be willing to give up a 19-year-old potential superstar for a big man on an expiring contract coming off back surgery.
Warriors: Holding onto the top-seven-protected pick was a win for Golden State, but the team will want to make sure it uses that asset to improve the roster in the short-term. After all, it's not like the Warriors' debt to Utah has been extinguished. Next year, they'll owe a top-six-protected pick to the Jazz, and could risk going through this same song and dance again.
Jazz: While the Jazz would've loved to see the Warriors slip a spot or two so that they could land Golden State's lottery pick, it's not a disaster for Utah to wait another year. With a ton of expiring contracts in 2012/13, the summer of 2013 will be a big win for the Jazz, and having a pair of first-rounders will give them even more flexibility to go along with their presumed cap space.

—–

Coach/GM Updates: Bobcats, Blazers, Magic

May 30th, 2012 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers exercised Vinny Del Negro's option for 2012/13 yesterday, filling another potential high-profile head coaching job. While it appears there won't be as much coaching turnover this summer as we may have expected, the Bobcats are interviewing candidates, and the Blazers and Magic will be in the market for new coaches once they hire general managers. Here are the latest updates on a few NBA job searches….