Portland Trail Blazers Blog – Page 52 – NBA Blog

Paul Allen says he is not selling the Blazers

Paul Allen was emphatic: He’s not selling the Portland Trail Blazers.

In a rare and wide-ranging discussion with reporters on Monday night, the billionaire owner shot down recent talk that he wants to put the Blazers on the market in the near future.

“I have no plans to sell the team,” he declared.

Allen would not, however, say how long he expects to keep the Blazers. He says numerous factors would play into that decision, including his health. The co-founder of Microsoft was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy in 2009, but was declared cancer-free late last year.

Allen was optimistic that the NBA’s new labor agreement would help smaller-market teams like his that have been losing money. He corrected one reporter about his losses saying they were in the “hundreds of millions, let’s be clear.”

— Reported by Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press

Jamal Crawford buys jersey number from Luke Babbitt

When the Trail Blazers officially introduced newly-signed Jamal Crawford at a news conference, he held up a brand new white No. 11 Blazers uniform and beamed from ear to ear as photographers snapped photos.

Wait … No. 11? Doesn’t Luke Babbitt wear No. 11?

Not anymore.

Crawford bought the number from Babbitt after a series of playful back-and-forth negotiations that spanned multiple days and involved Blazers captain LaMarcus Aldridge as a mediator.

No. 11 cost Crawford $12,000.

“That was a hard bargain, a tough bargain to get it,” Crawford said, laughing, after the Blazers’ practice on Saturday. “Luke could have been a lawyer … he got me.”

— Reported by Joe Freeman. Full article on the Oregonian

Trail Blazers agree to sign forward Craig Smith

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to terms with forward Craig Smith. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details here tonight.

Smith, 28, has averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in five seasons with Minnesota and the L.A. Clippers.

“Craig is a guy who will bring us some interior scoring and toughness around the hole,” said Trail Blazers Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “He is a player who is hungry to experience the playoffs and we hope that Craig can help us get back to the postseason again this year.”

A Los Angeles native, Smith (6-7, 265) spent the past two seasons with the Clippers, posting averages of 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 2010-11.

Originally selected by Minnesota with the 36th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft out of Boston College, Smith was a member of the 2006-07 NBA All-Rookie Second Team along with fellow Trail Blazer LaMarcus Aldridge.

Trail Blazers sign guard Jamal Crawford

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to terms with guard Jamal Crawford. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details shortly.

Crawford, 31, holds career averages of 15.4 points (41.0% FG, 35.0% 3-PT, 84.6% FT), 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 11 seasons with Chicago, New York, Golden State and Atlanta.

“We’ve thought highly of Jamal for a long time and think he’s a great fit for our team,” said Trail Blazers Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “He brings a scorer’s touch and veteran leadership that will help us immediately.”

Winner of the 2009-10 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award with Atlanta, Crawford (6-5, 200) played the last two seasons for the Hawks and placed second in the NBA in bench scoring (14.2 ppg) last season. With 1,307 career 3-pointers, Crawford ranks 13th among active NBA players and his 33 career four-point plays is an NBA record.

He has scored 50-plus points three times, including a career-high 52 on Jan. 26, 2007, with New York.

A Seattle native who played collegiately at the University of Michigan, Crawford was the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft.

Trail Blazers waive retiring guard Brandon Roy via amnesty clause

The Portland Trail Blazers have requested waivers on guard Brandon Roy and designated him as the team’s amnesty player, the team announced today.

“Brandon’s announcement that he is leaving the game ultimately shifted our decision to amnesty,” said Trail Blazers Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “We’re given the immediate option to obtain additional salary cap flexibility as we will no longer be in the Luxury Tax – something that is critical to improving our team and helping us recover from the loss of a player of Brandon’s caliber.”

Roy, 27, played five NBA seasons for the Trail Blazers, cementing himself as one of the greatest players to ever suit up in Portland with career averages of 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.03 steals and 35.6 minutes in 321 career games (295 starts).

“When faced with this decision, it made the most sense for us to amnesty his contract,” said Trail Blazers President Larry Miller. “We have a solid core group of players that we want to continue to build around. We owe it to our fans to put the best possible product on the court and this puts us in a better position to do that sooner rather than later. We once again want to thank Brandon for his many contributions as a Trail Blazer and wish him the best in his life after basketball.”

Roy led the Trail Blazers in scoring in three consecutive seasons from 2007-10. He became the first Trail Blazer since 1991-92 to rank among the NBA’s top 10 scorers when his 22.6 points per game ranked 10th in the league in 2008-09.

In just five seasons with the Trail Blazers, Roy ranks 15th on the team’s all-time scoring list with 6,107 career points. On Jan. 10, 2010, Roy became the third-fastest Trail Blazer to record 5,000 career points (247 games). He also ranks 12th among Portland’s all-time leaders in career assists (1,494) and 10th in 3-point field goals (322).

In 15 career playoff appearances (seven starts), Roy averaged 16.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30.6 minutes. In his first career postseason, he averaged 26.7 points in six games in 2009. His 42 points in Game 2 vs. Houston were the most by a player in his first or second career playoff game in NBA history.

A three-time NBA All-Star (2008-10), Roy earned All-NBA Second Team honors in 2008-09, becoming the first Trail Blazer to garner All-NBA honors since Clyde Drexler did so in 1991-92. He was a five-time winner of the Western Conference’s Player of the Week award, joining Drexler as the only players in franchise history to win the award five times.

Acquired by Portland in a draft-day trade with Minnesota, Roy was the sixth overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft out of the University of Washington.

Nets waive Travis Outlaw, via amnesty clause

The New Jersey Nets have waived forward Travis Outlaw and designated him as the team’s amnesty player, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Outlaw, (6’9”, 207) played in all 82 games, 55 starts, with the Nets last season, averaging 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 29 minutes per game. The eight-year veteran was acquired by New Jersey as a free agent on July 14, 2010.

Outlaw has appeared in 482 career NBA regular season games with Portland, LA Clippers and New Jersey, averaging 9.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game.

Bonzi Wells seeks NBA comeback with Timberwolves

The Timberwolves’ search for some stability and leadership has brought to training camp Bonzi Wells, who not that many years ago might have been one of the last guys ever considered to fulfill such needs.

Gifted but stubborn and immature once upon a time, he now, at age 35, is looking both for a job after three years out of the league and for a chance, perhaps, to tell young guys who think they know all a morsel or two about the way things really are.

He once was one of those guys.

Now, after playing in China in 2008-09, Puerto Rico in 2009-10 and not at all last season, he is seeking one last chance, mostly so he can leave professional basketball on his own terms.

“I really didn’t like the way I left the game,” Wells said. “You want to go out and say you’re retired. You don’t want to go out because someone tells you they don’t want you anymore.”

— Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Trail Blazers sign Kurt Thomas

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to terms with forward/center Kurt Thomas. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Thomas, 39, holds career averages of 8.6 points (48.6 FG%), 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 16 seasons with Miami, Dallas, New York, Phoenix, Seattle, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Chicago.

“We’re excited to be adding the experience, toughness and veteran leadership that Kurt will provide for our team,” said Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “We’ve long respected Kurt and expect him to make a strong contribution to our organization.”

The Dallas native started 37 of 52 games with Chicago last season, posting averages of 4.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

Selected by Miami with the 10th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, Thomas (6-9, 230) became just the third player in NCAA history to lead the nation in scoring (28.9 ppg) and rebounding (14.6 rpg) his senior 1994-95 season at Texas Christian.

LaMarcus Aldridge undergoes successful heart-related procedure

Portland Trail Blazers forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge underwent a successful procedure today to evaluate the status of the electrical system in his heart, it was announced today by the team.

He will be sidelined for 5-7 days before he can return to practice.

Aldridge, who was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome in 2007, underwent a similar procedure to correct the problem at the time of diagnosis.

Aldridge, 26, holds career averages of 17.3 points (49.2% FG, 77.1% FT), 7.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.02 blocks and 34.8 minutes in 379 games (338 starts).

Notching his best season to date in 2010-11, Aldridge was named to the All-NBA Third Team after averaging a team-high 21.8 points (50.0% FG, 79.1% FT) to go with 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.01 steals, 1.16 blocks and 39.6 minutes in 81 games (all starts). One of three NBA players to rank in the top 15 in points (14th) and rebounds (14th) last season, Aldridge ranks sixth in offensive rebounds in team history (1,068).

Greg Oden suffers yet another health setback

Greg Oden has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation, and as a result, the Trail Blazers have renegotiated the terms of his one-year contract, The Oregonian has learned.

It is unknown what the terms of the new contract are or what the setback entails.

“Following Greg’s most recent physical examination and evaluation, we’ve determined that he has suffered a setback,” team president Larry Miller said in a statement. “We’re hopeful, but are less confident that he will return to the court this season. We’ve stood by Greg from the day he was drafted and we continue to do so with this agreement.”

— Reported by Jason Quick of the Oregonian

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