As we get into the last couple of weeks before the March 15 trade deadline in the NBA, it's going to get pretty crazy for the Blazers. If you're already growing tired of hearing about all the potential moves Portland is going to make, then hold on. It's only a couple of weeks before it's all over, but it's going to get worse for you, before it gets better.Personally, I don't mind the trade deadline. It's nothing, if not entertaining. Even when Portland doesn't pull the trigger and do anything, it's still fun to talk about.
As far as Portland is concerned, all the talk is still focused on Steve Nash. I've written about the Nash rumors previously here and here, and have said that I would be in favor of Portland going and getting Nash, no matter what the cost, even if he is a "rental" for the rest of this season only.
In response to Stein's article mentioning Portland's desire to get Nash, a couple dudes over at Bleacher Report posted their thoughts on the matter. In the first article, the guy argues that Steve Nash-to-Portland makes absolutely no sense for the Suns or the Blazers to pursue. (Let me just interject here and say the thing that makes even less sense than a Nash to Portland trade is the Blazers' current point guard situation.)
He points out that unless the Suns get Batum back from Portland, it wouldn't help them at all. He then points out that even with acquiring Nash, the Blazers are still "a player away from being a true contender." Both of those points are valid, and I don't completely disagree with them.
But I think that I sort of missed the point he was trying to make. Nash is most likely not going to re-sign with the Suns. There is also a 50/50 chance (in my opinion) that the Blazers lose Nic Batum via free agency when the season ends. All Batum needs is one team to overvalue him and pay that $9-10 million per year that he's asking for, and he's gone. So I just don't think you can say that there is no reason for either team to consider doing a deal like this.
Both teams could actually lose the main components of this potential trade (Nash and Batum) for nothing at the end of the season. That sounds like a good enough reason to do this deal to me.
My personal opinion lies more in line with the 2nd article that I saw on Bleacher Report. That article was more favorable of the move to ship Nash to the Rose City. Brandon Taylor writes, "Nash would make the Trail Blazers a threat in the playoffs. LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace would have more room to operate due to Nash's three-point ability and Batum would be intriguing for Phoenix." That sentence is like music to my frickin ears right now.
He goes on to say that the current Portland roster would offer Nash a team more similar to his glory days with the Suns, with Aldridge playing the role of Amar'e Stoudamire, Wallace acting as a Shawn Marion-type, and Jamal Crawford being a Jason Richardson-type shooter. Taylor also brings up a good point that Nash would also be better served to stay in the Western conference, where it's more competitive at the top, rather than get sent to Orlando and have to deal with the Heat and Bulls' dominance.
The reason I've been so adamant in stating that I don't care who the Blazers trade to make the team better, is that I've seen what the other route has produced. The Blazers have been on the road of "let's get young pieces and let them grow together" for how long now? And it's gotten the team to point of where we're at today? Sure, it works for teams all the time. But it hasn't worked for Portland yet, obviously. Well that ain't cool at all. That's not working for the fans or the team, if you ask me.
Even if Steve Nash is only with the team for the rest of the current season, I want to see how far Portland can go with him. If it doesn't work out and Nash leaves in the offseason, I really don't think Portland is going to be decimated. They'll still have the option of keeping everyone they want to keep, except obviously Batum and whoever they trade with him to the Suns.
I go back to what Bill Simmons says about the Nash-to-Portland potential, especially in the lockout shortened season that we have upon us.
"But what if the Blazers offered Raymond Felton, Nic Batum (whom they just passed on extending) and $3 million for Nash, with the wink-wink caveat that Phoenix then had to buy out his buddy Grant Hill's contract so Hill could sign with Portland? Could you go to war in the 2012 playoffs with LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace, Marcus Camby, Wesley Matthews, Jamal Crawford, Hill, Kurt Thomas, Craig Smith and a rejuvenated-by-the-Pacific Northwest-and-a-title-shot-and-Rip City Steve Nash? Hell yeah! I haven't been this excited for a fake trade in years. Naturally, that means it won't happen.
How does that old saying go? If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got. Something like that. That sums up my thoughts on the Blazers and what they should do before the upcoming trade deadline.
