[外電]Blazers going after trades and moving slow on free agency

[ElliotWill (iams)]

According to NBA agents, the Trail Blazers are actively pursuing small-level
trades while moving slowly in the recruitment of free agents.

The Blazers appear to be targeting free agent guards, having contacted the
representatives of Roger Mason, Wesley Matthews and Jordan Farmar, but one
agent said the team appears "discombobulated" without recently fired general
manager Kevin Pritchard.

Another agent said the Blazers are "moving slowly" with free agents and
appear to be more interested in moving players out in trades, perhaps a sign
that the team is maneuvering to make a bigger deal.

Scouts Chad Buchanan, Mike Born and Joe Cronin are heading the Blazers' free
agent pursuits while president Larry Miller searches for Pritchard's
replacement. Free agency opened at 9p.m. PDT June30, and teams can begin to
sign free agents on Thursday.

Buchanan on Saturday said it would be a "longshot" for the Blazers to make an
offer to a player by Thursday.

"We're definitely not in a rush," Buchanan said. "If we sign a free agent, we
want it to be a good fit, and we are in the process of getting to know these
guys as people best as we can."

It doesn't appear the Blazers will have a general manager by Thursday, either.

Miller, who is out of town visiting family, said the Blazers' search won't
move forward until Tuesday at the earliest because of the holiday weekend. 
When it does resume, it figures to involve an interview with former Miami
general manager Randy Pfund and at least one other unknown candidate, perhaps
Kiki Vandeweghe, who has been apprehensive about addressing the opening when
asked about it.

So far, former Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry is the only candidate
who has interviewed -- a two-day event last week.

Buchanan said the Blazers had a free agency plan in place before Pritchard
was fired, and that the team is carrying out that plan, which includes
keeping alive trade scenarios that were discussed before the June 24 draft.

In the meantime, the Blazers have been talking to some free agents who might
be signed to modest contracts. Included in their conversations has been
Mason, the former San Antonio guard.

"We've talked quite a bit," agent Mark Bartelstein said. "There are ongoing
conversations."

Mason, 30, is a 6-foot-5 guard who had a career year in 2008-09 with the
Spurs before dropping off last year while playing with a hurt hand. He had
surgery in mid-May to repair a torn ligament in his right hand and is
expected to be fully recovered by training camp.

In 2008-09, he averaged 11.8 points a game and played 30.4 minutes a game for
the Spurs. He shot 42.1 percent from three-point range, hitting 166 threes,
the 10th most in the NBA.

Last season, his statistics dropped dramatically, as he played 19.2 minutes
and averaged 6.3 points while shooting 33.3 percent from three-point range.

"He played hurt a lot," Bartelstein said. "But he is a valuable piece because
he can play both guard positions."

Bartelstein said close to a dozen teams have shown interest in Mason, who
made $3.8 million last season, but none of the talks have reached the point
where money has been discussed.

Bartelstein said the Blazers have also shown interest in two other clients:
point guard Chris Quinn and forward Louis Amundson.


--Jason Quick


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阿拓在自由球員市場短時間不會有進度

新gm人選這兩天也不會有進度  因為Larry Miller回鄉下過holiday weekend了




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→ JerrydBatum:在這最大的自由市場卻沒有GM
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推 dw1012:......
推 knight0123:不好意思,在下指的是Larry Miller,你快點給我回來~~~
推 LaGregRoy:是怕Batum被交易嗎??     其實我也怕我ID要換隊