Gerald Wallace to Nets: Breaking Down Blazers' Long-Term Plan Without Him

With Portland faltering below .500 at the trade deadline, the team elected to send forward Gerald Wallace packing to join Deron Williams in New Jersey, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Wallace trade indicates that the team is dead set on rebuilding the team for the future, and the GM-less Blazers must have some type of scheme in order to bring the franchise back into title contention.

Let’s examine the moves made by the Blazers and try to get a sense of where the franchise is headed

Clear the Salary Cap

Wallace was both talented and crucial to the Blazers' game plan this season, but the team had to dump the $19 million owed to him over the next two years if they wanted to have the cap flexibility this summer to make roster moves.

The expiring deals of Mehmet Okur and Shawne Williams will free up about $13 million on the Blazers payroll, giving them some salary cap wiggle room for free agency this summer.

Lose for a Higher Draft Pick

By giving away the team’s starting small forward for two guys who barely got off the bench for the struggling nets, this move obviously wasn’t made for short-term success. With Portland sitting outside the eight seed in the Western Conference, the team might just be throwing in the towel this season.

Losing in the short run will bring the Blazers a higher draft pick in this summer’s draft, and injecting the roster with young talent should be a priority for Portland this offseason.

Draft Young Talent

The Blazers acquired New Jersey’s top-three protected first-rounder in this year’s draft, and with the Nets posting the sixth worst record in the league, Portland will likely have at least one lottery pick in the draft.

If the Blazers can add a star player via the draft to pair with their prized power forward LaMarcus Aldridge going forward, Portland could soon find themselves amongst the Western Conference’s elite.

Pursue Marquee Free Agents

Portland should have ample cap room to attract a big free agent in July; the expiring contracts of Okur, Williams, Felton, Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet will be off their books.

The 2012 free-agent class is an extremely deep one, highlighted by superstar Deron Williams, center Chris Kaman, sharpshooter Ray Allen and future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.

The Blazers will have the flexibility now to offer contracts to multiple free agents, and it would be surprising to see them not walk away with a blockbuster signing.