Hedo Turkoglu: Money or Chance for Title?

The Portland Trail Blazers contacted Lon Babby, free-agent Hedo Turkoglu’s agent, once the clock struck 12:01. The team expressed their undying love for his client, and set up a meeting between Turkoglu and Blazers head coach Nate McMillan that will take place over dinner in Portland during this first night of the free agency period.

Turkoglu, reportedly, has Portland at the top of his list. Despite his obvious talent, fans of the up-and-coming Blazers have been hesitant to jump on his bandwagon. First, Portland already has three forwards—Travis Outlaw, Nicolas Batum, and Rudy Fernandez—though fans on this forum have expressed a desire to trade Outlaw. The general consensus is that while Turkoglu is a great player, he might not be a particularly good fit alongside Brandon Roy. He would also take minutes away from these three forwards, whom have been integral pieces to Portland’s successful puzzle.

In an article published on Yahoo Sports’ NBA Blog Ball Don’t Lie, Kelly Dwyer voices this criticism of the Blazers salivation over Turkoglu: “So why, exactly, is Portland throwing its free agent booty at Hedo? What am I missing here? The team was, statistically, the best offensive team in the NBA last year. Possession to possession, nobody scored more. Defense is this team’s weakness, so they’re spending all sorts of dough on a defensive liability?

The team, for years, has been one of the better closing squads in the NBA. They don’t make a lot of comebacks, not with Nate McMillan’s snail-slow pace, but with Travis Outlaw and Brandon Roy in the fold, they do just about lead the league in game-cinchers in the last 90 seconds. Statheads can talk about Carmelo Anthony, TV talking heads can talk up Kobe Bryant but no team is better in the clutch than the Portland Trail Blazers.

Why are they adding a player who is past his prime (Hedo’s numbers dropped across the board in 2008-09, after hitting an NBA players’ typical career-best at age 29, in 2007-08) to a team full of players that haven’t even hit their prime?

How does 41 percent shooting help when Travis Outlaw – one of the league’s more underrated offensive talents – is taking fewer shots, and playing fewer minutes? How does the defense improve with Turkoglu taking Nicolas Batum’s minutes?

I agree with this argument entirely. Why is Turkoglu their main target? He’s below average defensively, is a streaky shooter (42 percent from the field for his career; 41 percent last season), and is 10 years older than Batum and six years older than Outlaw.

As Dwyer mentions, his stock has risen because of his clutch play through the years. Though he can hit the big shot late, who knows if he’ll produce on a consistent basis for the first 40 minutes.

Sure he can average 17 points, five assists, and five rebounds per game, but as Dwyer says, the Blazers were the best offensive team in the NBA last season. They don’t need offense, especially since they already have plenty of shooters on the wings, a point guard who can hit shots when called upon—Steve Blake—and a shoot-first backup, Jerryd Bayless, whom they clearly think highly of (they traded for him after he was selected 11th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, and this off-season traded former backup, Sergio Rodriguez, to put Bayless next in line).

Center Greg Oden, like Bayless, will be better offensively after gaining valuable experience on a winning team in his rookie season. If that isn’t enough, Martell Webster, who is capable of dropping 20 points on any given night (in this case, a quarter), is back and healthy after being shelved for a majority of last season with a foot injury.

So, the Blazers, without forking over $50 million over five years (which is the asking price, and reportedly what they are set to offer) for Turkoglu, will be better offensively this next season. The Toronto Raptors, however, desperate to join the elites of the Eastern Conference, need offense he can provide, and have the money to woo him across the border. They are reportedly ready to offer the 6′10″ forward a five-year contract worth $60 million.

The Raptors may not win next season, but the signing of Turkoglu perhaps may be enough to keep star Chris Bosh in Toronto.

The bidding war is solely between the Blazers and the Raptors. It just depends if Turkoglu wants the extra $10 million or a chance to compete for a championship. Personally, I hope he’s greedy and takes the Raptors' money. That would keep Fernandez from going ballistic, and allow Batum and Outlaw to breathe deeply, knowing their jobs are safe.