[外電] Turkoglu coming to Portland ... for a visit
The Trail Blazers are putting on a full-court press in their attempt to lure
free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu to Portland.
Lon Babby, the agent for Turkoglu, told The Oregonian on Wednesday that
Blazers coach Nate McMillan will dine with Turkoglu tonight in Orlando, and
then Babby and Turkoglu will fly to Portland on Thursday to meet with Blazers
general manager Kevin Pritchard and tour the team's facilities.
The Blazers' courtship comes as two Eastern Conference teams are making their
push to attract the sharp-shooting 6-foot-10 forward.
Sources say Toronto is preparing an offer of five years and $60 million for
Turkoglu. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard, the star of his former team - Orlando -
reportedly made a call to Turkoglu on Tuesday night to express his desire for
him to re-sign with the Magic. Turkoglu opted out of his contract with
Orlando, foregoing $7.3 million this season.
The Blazers expect to have as much as $9.7 million to offer Turkoglu for the
first season with the ability to offer a total package of five-years and $50
million. The interest comes after Turkoglu had a big postseason in helping
Orlando advance to the NBA Finals.
A source inside the Blazers said Turkoglu's signing is designed to provide
more help for team star Brandon Roy, who was surrounded by defenders in a
first-round playoff loss to Houston. Turkoglu, the Blazers figure, is such a
good passer and shooter, that it would alleviate the pressure for Roy to
create all the offense.
Turkoglu, 30, plays small forward, a position that is already heavily
fortified for the Blazers. If he signs in Portland, it would probably signal
a trade of either Martell Webster, Nicolas Batum or Travis Outlaw.
Webster, the year-long starter two seasons ago, is coming off an injury that
kept him out all of last season. Batum, the rookie from France and the team's
best perimeter defender, started 76 of his 79 games last season. Meanwhile,
both Pritchard and McMillan this offseason have said the team is envisioning
Outlaw, the six-year veteran, becoming less of a small forward and more of a
power forward.
Portland has a payroll of $50 million, with the ability to shave $1.7 million
by renouncing the rights to former first-round picks Petteri Koponen and Joel
Freeland. The Blazers will be one of five teams that expects to be under the
league's salary cap when it is announced on July 8, joining Detroit, Oklahoma
City, Memphis and Toronto.
However, in order for Toronto to clear enough money to sign Turkoglu to the
five-year, $60 million deal, it would have to renounce the contracts of Shawn
Marion, Anthony Parker, Carlos Delfino, Patrick O'Bryant and Quincy Douby.
The team is leery of taking that path, having that same tactic backfire last
season when it created room for the arrival of Jermaine O'Neal.
http://tinyurl.com/kn2yvy
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 221.169.172.177
BLAZERS 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章
14
20