But I find this situation a little bit ironic:

A week ago, when all you could do was talk to free agents, suitors were lined up at the door at midnight. Mark Cuban flew into New York to speak with Jason Kidd, the Trail Blazers had Hedo Turkoglu’s agent on the phone, there was all sorts of activity — just a few seconds after the talking period began.

But now, when you can actually get somebody’s name on the dotted line, there’s no rush. I expected to wake up this morning and read about four or five players who had already signed. But no, apparently no hurry today.

If I had an agreement with someone, I think I’d be out there pretty fast getting his name signed to it. People can change their mind, you know. Nothing’s binding until you get it inked, which I guess Trail Blazer fans already understand.

Which kind of reminds me that Brian Wheeler said on his radio show yesterday that Turkoglu’s commitment to the Trail Blazers last week was so strong that he’d already selected his uniform number (I think he said it was going to be 26, but I must admit that for me uniform numbers are so insignificant, I couldn’t be 100 percent certain).

I believe there are still some people in the Trail Blazer front office who are very upset with Hedo Turkoglu.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Kidd, Mark Cuban, Portland Trail Blazers

The New York Daily News is reporting that Jason Kidd’s free agency will begin Wednesday with a visit to the Knicks. He’d have to want to be a Knick pretty bad because all New York can offer is a mid-level exception, which is a lot less than Dallas or Portland could give him.

The story, by the way, also mentions that Kidd will meet with the Trail Blazers.

And in other news involving potential Trail Blazer point guards, the Detroit News is reporting that the No. 1 free-agent target for the Pistons will be Chicago combo guard Ben Gordon. That’s important because most people believe if Gordon leaves the Bulls, Chicago will not be interested in trading Kirk Hinrich.

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Tags: Ben Gordon, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Jaynes, Jason Kidd, Kirk Hinrich, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers pick No. 24 — so do you go out there and grab the likes of UCLA’s Jrue Holiday or do you opt for another strategy? You could trade the pick, you could even attempt to move up in the draft for a better player, or you could take a player you could stash in Europe.

See, here’s my deal: This is simply a season where, unless you’re also trading away two or three veteran players, there is no room for yet another rookie. We’re past that, aren’t we?

I believe this is a time when you just don’t want to devote roster space to yet one more player who needs developmental time or who might be pressing for playing time. There is enough roster congestion on this team right now. Please, this is a time to simplify, rather than complicate.

Already, there’s Jerryd Bayless and Nic Batum out there who need time to develop. Neither is likely to be a starter this season.

If a Jason Kidd or Andre Miller is added to the roster, Bayless will still be on the bench, needing all the playing time he can get. If Steve Blake stays, Bayless would be even further down the bench.

When Martell Webster returns next season, Nic Batum will be on the bench, needing minutes, too. And what would happen if Travis Outlaw is back, too? Batum is buried even deeper. It seems to me the Blazers are stocked at every position but power forward, and won’t be able to find something capable of helping immediately at that position in what seems to be a very weak draft class.

So why use the pick? I’d ship it off, along with a couple of those four second-round selections. And I wouldn’t move up, either, unless I planned to divest myself of a more than one player who was in the regular rotation this past season.

Now if Outlaw, Blake and Sergio Rodriquez (or any other combination of three rotation players from last season) are gone, there would be room for a solid rookie, depending on what comes in return for those players.

Otherwise, I would just sit this one out. How about you?

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Tags: 2009 NBA Draft, Andre Miller, Dwight Jaynes, Jason Kidd, Jerryd Bayless, Jrue Holiday, Nic Batum, Portland Trail Blazers, Sergio Rodriques, Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw

There are several reports floating around the web that the Blazers might be interested in either Steve Nash or Jason Kidd.

Nash is not a free agent and would require some sort of deal, with reportedly a package including Travis Outlaw and Jerryd Bayless headed to Phoenix. I think such a deal is absurd and something Portland would never consider.

First, it’s too much to give for Nash, whose career as a small point guard who depends on his quickness may be coming to a rapid close. Second, Nash does not really fit the profile of the way Portland plays. He’s a guy who always wants to push the pace and will make a few turnovers. We’ve already seen Steve Nash Lite here and that was Sergio Rodriguez. He’s been in the Nate McMillan doghouse for three seasons here and will surely be gone next season. And I’m not so sure the Blazers want to trade Bayless.

Pursuing Jason Kidd makes much more sense to me. Yes, I know he’s old. I know he can’t defend the quicker point guards the way he used to guard them. I know he’s not much of a shooter. But I’m convinced that he’s one of the league’s true leaders and would be a great mentor for not only Bayless but the rest of a young team. From what I’ve heard, he performed that role perfectly for the Olympic team — where McMillan had a front-row seat.

And I think it’s not a reach to think Kidd, a free agent, could be available to Portland. Yes, I know — he’d be expensive. But he’s also the home run that Kevin Pritchard loves to hit. Andre Miller? A nice solid double, but Kidd has starpower, great knowledge of the game and still burns to win a championship to go with his two Olympic gold medals. He may not defend as well as he used to, but he knows how to defend. He understands team defense and can feed the post. He’s probably what this team has lacked.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Kidd’s because it always bothered me that he can’t shoot. I just don’t much like players who can’t make shots. But in this case, I think he could be a great fit in Portland. But can the Blazers afford him? That depends on how much he wants.

Kidd will turn 36 next November and is known to be seeking more than a one-year contract. Two years would be fair but anything beyond that would seem out of touch with reality. He just finished a six-year, $103.6 million contract that was originally signed with the Nets — a deal that made him the second-highest paid player in the league last season at something over $17 million.

If he’s looking for anything in that neighborhood, he’s out of luck, of course. But — and it’s hard because we still don’t know what the salary cap will be next season — it’s possible the Trail Blazers could comfortably find cap room of about $9 million, which could be enough.

The Mavericks can pay him more than that and possibly would, because they see their championship window closing. Dallas GM Donnie Nelson calls Kidd “the straw that stirs the drink” and seems determined to keep him. But Kidd may yearn for a younger group with a better chance at a title. It’s probably his last chance to make a major move of his own choice.

But I’m not sure Kidd is the kind of guy who wants to pull a Gary Payton and just sign on to be a spare part with a team that’s already a part of the championship picture.

Here’s what Kidd said in a postseason interview session:

“I’m not looking at it as trying to win a championship, hitching on a bandwagon and jumping on with a team that’s a favorite,” Kidd said. “I’m looking to help a team try to win a championship. Whether it’s here in Dallas or wherever it may be, I still feel that I have a lot to give to the game.”

Kidd, who has no intention to sign a one-year deal, sees himself as a guy who can play at a high level for a few more seasons while teaching his evenutal replacement the NBA ropes. He’d be a heck of a mentor to a rookie like Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor or Jonny Flynn that the Mavs might draft this summer.

Or Jerryd Bayless. Doesn’t the Portland situation sound just a little like what he’s looking for?

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Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Jaynes, Jason Kidd, Jerryd Bayless, Kevin Pritchard, Portland Trail Blazers

First off, and I think I said this the last time Dallas came into town and ambushed the Blazers, nobody is better prepared to play the Portland Trail Blazers than the Mavericks. Their coaching staff does a great job, particularly this time after playing at home the night before.

A few observations:

– There’s a reason that I made the comment after the Laker game about the way Portland takes the ball to the basket against Los Angeles. At halftime Wednesday night, the Blazers had two fast-break points and six points in the paint. Against the Lakers Monday night, I think they had 28 points in the paint at halftime. If you don’t get the ball inside and don’t get fast-break points, you’re going to lose most of the time. It puts too much pressure on your jump shooters. The Blazers made some 3-pointers because Dallas was packing the defense inside, but overall, I really never had a feeling the Mavs were going to let Portland win this game.

– Jason Kidd isn’t anywhere near the defender he used to be. He’s finally recognized he’s not an offensive player, too — so he doesn’t take many shots. But what he does do is run a team just about as well as anybody in the league. He controls the offense and defense and the tempo, too. The right guys get the ball in the right spots to score, everyone is organized. He’s a real pro and even at this point of his career, you can learn a lot by watching him play.

– Brandon Roy was not good. I hear that on television they were saying he was suffering from flu or something. All I know is that after the game, someone asked Nate McMillan “Was Brandon sick?” and the coach looked out blankly and said, simply, “No.” All I know is that when he tried to get to the basket, he had to weave through about two more players than he usually does. The defense was stacked against him and he didn’t seem to get an open shot all night. Just a rough night. Everyone has them.

– Portland had many, MANY possessions where it did not get a good shot. One or two passes and a shot isn’t going to get you much against Dallas. Ball and player movement — basic offensive fundamentals — are necessary against those guys or they lock you up.

– It was a killer loss. You’ll know this team has arrived when it can play at the level of the Laker or Celtic games and then come back in the next contest and play just as well.

– I don’t know who is making the calls on what goes up on that giant high-def replay screen, but two games in a row now some very questionable stuff has been shown. Monday it was something about how Kobe’s balls smelled and last night a cartoon of someone urinating on Trevor Ariza. Come on, guys — this isn’t junior high. That stuff is tasteless and makes the whole franchise look classless and clueless — you’re better than that. Keep it off the screens.

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Tags: Brandon Roy, Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Jaynes, Jason Kidd, Portland Trail Blazers

As we near Thursday’s big day, let me reiterate what lies ahead for the Trail Blazers. This year the deadline offers a unique opportunity for Portland, in that so many owners are experiencing financial hardships both in their primary businesses and their NBA teams.

That leads to teams making deals merely to reduce payroll — which is very often a bad way to run a team. And it’s something that leads to some very unbalanced trades. The Blazers, sitting on RLEC (you know, Raef’s expiring contract) and a couple of players of value — Travis Outlaw and Sergio Rodriguez — they’re willing to deal, may have an opportunity to make a franchise-changing trade.

Or not.

Kevin Pritchard is being very picky here, which he should be. There isn’t going to be a deal made wherein the Blazers surrender that contract and a few players for just anyone. I think KP will pull the trigger for the player of his dreams, but otherwise, well, he’ll do nothing.

Dealing the RLEC would likely cause Portland to take back a nasty contract, one with long-term implications. The Blazers will soon have to extend the Roy and Aldridge deals and don’t want to get themselves fenced in by a nasty salary cap situation.

Paul Allen has been a great owner when it comes to taking on salaries if he sees a championship in the future. But it’s not fair to ask him to start going $80 million to $100 million in debt each season, either.

So with all that in mind, here are some odds to play around with on what’s likely to happen. And really, all we can do is throw a few names at the wall and see if anything sticks. Remember, too, this is for entertainment purposes only — please NO WAGERING!:

Even money: The Trail Blazers don’t find the deal they want and decide, for now, to hold onto RLEC. If they don’t move the contract, you could still see a minor move made but nothing that’s going to make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. I think this option is more likely than you might imagine. There is nothing wrong with saving that final bullet in your gun for a better shot later on.

2-1: A player you’ve never seen or heard in a previous trade conversation arrives. Come on, there’s no way any of us know what’s really out there for the Trail Blazers. Some organizations keep things quiet, you know. They’re not all the Phoenix Suns. These are the most fun deals. You acquire a player who you never thought would be available to you. Kind of like Pau Gasol going to the Lakers last season for practically nothing. That’s become the new gold standard for mid-season deals.

3-1: Richard Jefferson. This is the name that keeps coming up. He makes a lot of sense because he’s a team-oriented small forward who can do a little bit of everything and has deep playoff experience.

8-1: Kirk Hinrich. Makes a lot of sense if you want to shore up the perimeter defense. Reliable shooter who can defend. And he’s available. A Kansas guy, too. Problem is, I don’t see the point of investing in a long-term point-guard option if the team thinks Bayless is their guy.

10-1: Andre Miller. It seems likely he’ll be traded and the Blazers have always liked him.

10-1: John Salmons. A player who could help but who isn’t going to be a game changer. His name won’t send shockwaves through the city, either.

20-1: Jason Kidd. I know, a long shot. But there’s just something in the back of my mind about the guy coming here for a season or two and mentoring Jerryd Bayless while teaching this team the value of getting the ball into the post.

100-1: Amare Stoudemire. No chance, really. I don’t really believe Portland wants this player. Particularly not at the price being asked.

OK, that’s just a list of names. I don’t pretend to know any secrets at this point. I will say this, too: Don’t forget, if the Blazers go out and get a player, he’s got to be able to fit in — not only with the “culture” of the team, but the personalities and talent. The first question you want to ask about any new player of significance is this: Can he play with Brandon Roy? How does he fit with Brandon Roy?

I’m sure before any major deal is made that question will be asked to Brandon Roy, too.

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Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Dwight Jaynes, Jason Kidd, John Salmons, Kirk Hinrich, NBA trade deadline, Portland Trail Blazers, Richard Jefferson, RLEC

They’re coming off a huge win Monday night at Orlando, but the Blazers have done that, too. Dallas has been playing better and scoring more points since Coach Rick Carlisle handed the play calling over to Jason Kidd.

At this point of his career, I would think that’s one of the big advantages Kidd could bring to the floor. He never was much of a shooter and the great defense he used to play is a faint memory. But if you’re looking for leadership and a sensitive feel for the NBA game, man he’s got to be one of the best — if not THE best — in the business.

I remember the days when football teams used to let the quarterback call his own plays and when you had a great, veteran signal caller it was a tremendous advantage. In this case, not only do you get Kidd’s expertise you also uptempo your game quite a bit because the point guard isn’t looking over his shoulder at the bench all the time, like a batter stepping out of the box waiting for a sign from the third-base coach.

I’ve never been a big fan of Kidd. I’ve said it many times before, but I always seem to like shooters and he’s never been that. But I could see — and it’s not going to happen — how much good it would do a team like this, or a young point guard like Jerryd Bayless, to have Kidd around for a season or two to mentor them.

There’s no getting around what a smart player he’s always been and it would be a bit of a Scottie Pippen-like Blazer move. That gamble, by the way, was extremely expensive but it worked — until a fatal fourth-quarter flameout in Los Angeles in the conference finals derailed a team that should have won a championship.

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Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Jaynes, Jason Kidd, Portland Trail Blazers, Rick Carlisle

A lot of things went wrong for the Trail Blazers in their 102-94 loss to Dallas. In fact, it was the old finger-in-the-dike deal, where everytime you got one problem solved, another one opens up. I do think this is a game that showed you the difference between young, talented teams and veteran, talented teams.

The Blazers still have a long way to go. A lot to learn. And I’m not sure they’re learning it as quickly as we’d like. Let’s take a look, in no real order, at some things you may want to comment on:

• The Mavericks started four players over 30. That translates into a lot more experience than the Blazers have. But they’re old and fairly slow, too. Everyone runs against the Blazers’ transition defense, but the Mavs didn’t. They got only nine fast-break points all night long.
• They beat Portland on second-chance points 28-6. That’s humiliating. A lot of it was because the Blazer small forwards and guards didn’t rotate onto the Dallas big men and keep them off the boards after Portland’s centers went to block shots or pick up penetrators. The Mavs shot 48.8 percent and had 16 offensive rebounds. Ugh.
• Greg Oden continues to look quicker and in better shape. His spin move tonight to a left-handed half hook looked great, but he missed the shot. He missed every shot he took, in fact, except his two dunks. A lot of you are ready to pull the plug on him, but I would go the other way. I continue to believe he needs more than six shots a game if he’s going to improve. I don’t care if it ends up costing the team games, this guy is the hub for everything that’s going to happen here and his improvement must be maximized. Part of his problem Thursday was that it looks to me as if he’s getting some fouls simply because the referees think he’s a chronic fouler. He got two horrible foul calls and at the same time he can’t pick up foul calls at the offensive end. This has to be dealt with — send some clips to the league office, at least – before he picks up a rep that he can’t shake. And also — the guy has to learn not to try to body up on smaller players as they head to the basket. Just stay off them and bait them into taking a shot you can block. Getting called for a foul trying to throw a Nowitski shot back in his face is fine. Take a few of those. But getting whistled for using the body on Devean George as he drives the baseline is a total waste.
• Jason Kidd is trying to keep it a secret but he can’t guard anybody anymore and should be exploited much more than the Blazers did. Don’t know that I’ve seen Steve Blake elevate so often with nobody to throw the ball to — but it’s something that your high school coach will yell at you about.
• Bob Delaney and Jim Clark were waging a personal war through the first half to see which one could best show what a non-homer he is. Then Dirk Nowitski and Josh Howard irritated Delaney and he stuck it to the Mavs for about five solid minutes. For quite a bit of the second half, Delaney made the game all about himself. It was a throwback to the old days when you’d see a referee take over a game for a while, slapping technical fouls like a gunslinger knocking off snipers.
• Portland’s not going to beat many good teams shooting 65.6 percent from the foul line and getting outrebounded by 10.
• Awful Blazer defense against the pick-and-roll late in the game. No weakside help AT ALL.
• Clearing out the court for Brandon Roy to play one-on-one is happening too often and it’s increasingly icing the other Blazer players. Standing around on offense is never good — but four guys standing around is deadly. Martell Webster’s outside shooting is definitely being missed, by the way.
• Roy did a lot of moaning to the officials. Too much. It’s not going to work for him.
• Portland’s red shoes reminded me of the days when Clyde was wearing those red Avias and Kiki was taking a red marking pen and coloring in his white shoes.

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Tags: Bob Delaney, Brandon Roy, Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Jaynes, Greg Oden, Jason Kidd, Martell Webster, Portland Trail Blazers