Toronto Raptors: Should They Pursue Greg Oden?

With news of Greg Oden’s most recent season-ending knee surgery, there has been speculation that the Portland Trail Blazers are likely to cut ties with their former No. 1 overall pick, after declining to offer him an extension this summer.

This revelation is leading analysts and fans alike across the NBA landscape to question whether or nor their team should pursue the very talented, but seemingly chronically-injured Greg Oden.

Raptor fans are no different and I am not the only one in Raptorland who automatically thought that a healthy Greg Oden would be a good fit for the Raptors.

Once hailed as the best big man prospect since Tim Duncan, there is still plenty of upside left in Greg Oden’s seven-foot frame.

Though extremely gifted and athletic, he was never an explosive athlete and thus his injuries will not debilitate him as much as it would some other NBA players.

And as we have seen with Amar'e Stoudemire,  players can bounce back from micro-fracture surgery and have productive careers.

Coming into the NBA, Greg Oden was compared favorably to Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Bill Russell, and the talent, potential and skill are still there.

Greg Oden has already flashed his immense potential posting a 25 point, 12 rebound, two-steal, two-block game against the Milwaukee Bucks in his rookie season.

He grabbed a crazy 20 rebounds against the Miami Heat last year, and that performance further helps to accentuate his true potential.

It's not a question of talent with Greg Oden.

It's a question of health.

Greg Oden is a once-in-a-decade center and the Toronto Raptors, who have a glaring need in the middle, have absolutely no excuse not to pursue him as a free agent this summer—offering him something like a four-year deal with club options for the third and fourth years.

However recent news has it that the Blazers are contemplating making a qualifying offer to their upcoming restricted free agent.

If the Blazers plan to make the $8.8 million dollar qualifying offer and trade his rights, then the Raptors may be able to come up with an enticing package that includes Miami’s first round pick and a rather large trade exception to get something done before this year's trade deadline (before our trade exception expires).

One thing is for certain: Bryan Colangelo has Greg Oden on his radar and is brainstorming plausible scenarios.

Greg Oden is the dominant rebounding shot-blocker Raptor fans can only dream of. This summer, health permitting, it could become a reality.

This article can also be found at Raptors Digest.