Trail Blazers Raise the Bar After Exceeding Expectations

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

After finishing the 2008-2009 season with a 54-28 record, the Portland Trailblazers will head into next season with lofty expectations.

Before heading into next season, many questions must first be answered regarding the draft, free agency, the salary cap, and team chemistry, to name a few.

With the 2009 NBA draft coming up on June 25th, the first question that many people have is who will the Blazers select with the 24th pick. Knowing how Kevin Pritchard works, that pick could very well be traded for another player before the draft starts or it could turn into a lottery pick.

The Blazers most glaring needs right now are a difference maker at starting point guard, and a quality back up power forward who would bring some much needed toughness to a team that is short on goons.

Looking at the draft prospects, the Blazers will be hard pressed to find a quality starting point guard with the 24th pick. It is almost guaranteed that Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, and Ty Lawson will all be off the board by then.

Darren Collison could be a possibility if the Blazers decide to go point guard with their first round pick. Collison, who is a point guard out of UCLA, averaged 14 points and close to five assists a game last season for the Bruins. He is also know for his lock down defense, something that Blazers coach Nate McMillan has been asking for in a point guards for years.

Collison's small frame is a bit of a concern because he is 6'1" and only 166 lbs, but he makes up for that with his tenacious on ball defense and his ability to effectively run an offense. He is considered by many to be a true point guard.

If North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough somehow falls to the Blazers at this pick, expect them to snatch him up without hesitation. Hansbrough is the quality back up power forward that the Blazers sorely need, and his motor never stops running. He would instantly add toughness, and hustle at both ends of the floor.

It's highly unlikely that Hansbrough will fall to number 24 after having impressive workouts with many other teams, so right now, it looks like the Blazers will go with a point guard, and it very well could be Collison.

However, with Kevin Pritchard and Paul Allen's deep pockets, anything is possible, so don't count out the Blazers making a move for Tyler Hansbrough if that is the player that they truly want.

There have been a lot of rumors floating around about the Blazers moving up to select Davidson's Stephen Curry, but right now, there has not been enough concrete evidence to suggest that any of that is true.

After the NBA draft takes place, there will be no rest, as July 1st marks the first day of NBA free agency. Teams can begin negotiating with players on July 1st, but cannot sign them until July 9th.

2009 does not boast the strong free agent class that 2010 will have, but it is not too shabby either.

The Blazers currently have $13.4 million in cap space, but expect that number to shrink if they choose to pick up the team options for Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw as they have already stated they will do.

Blake has a $4 million option and Outlaw has a $3.6 million option. That would leave the Blazers with $5.8 million in cap space if they choose to retain both players.

Channing Frye is a restricted free agent, who almost certainly will not be re-signed do to his ineffectiveness throughout his Blazers career and his propension for always shooting jump shots, instead of using his 6'10", 250 lbs frame to bang down low.

The Blazers also have three unrestricted free agents; Raef LaFrentz, Michael Ruffin, and Shavlik Randolph, who also will not be re-signed.

As it is right now, the Blazers will only be able to offer a player a deal of no more than $5.8 million annually. It has been rumored that the Blazers will do everything in their power to sign Orlando Magic small forward Hedo Turkoglu. He will almost certainly command atleast $10 million a year, and it would take the Blazers trading some valuable assets in order to free up cap space to sign Turkoglu.

The Orlando Magic have already made it clear that they are willing to pay the NBA luxury tax in order to re-sign Turkoglu, so barring a miracle or a Paul Allen making it rain again, the chances of the Blazers signing Hedo Turkoglu are slim to none.

Now, if the Blazers somehow do find a way to snatch up Tyler Hansbrough in the draft, they would be able to make a reasonable offer to Milwaukee Bucks point guard Ramon Sessions, who will be a restricted free agent.

It is unlikely that the Bucks will match any offer that is made to Sessions since Scott Skiles appears to favor Luke Ridnour, and the Bucks are said to be looking at drafting a point guard with the 10th pick in the draft.

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