Portland Trail Blazers Waive Greg Oden to Clear Roster Space
As a result of the moves that were made at the trade deadline, Greg Oden's career in Portland is coming to an end.
UPDATE: Thursday, March 15 at 8:40 p.m EDT
SportsCenter is reporting via Twitter that the speculation is over. The Blazers have officially cut ties with Oden.
"Source: Trail Blazers waive oft-injured C Greg Oden (No. 1 overall pick in 2007 NBA draft): es.pn/xNWJIG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 15, 2012"
Marc Stein of ESPN is reporting that in order to make room for some of the new players, Portland is cutting ties with the former No. 1 overall pick.
"Source w/knowledge of Blazers' thinking says team has informed Greg Oden's camp that Oden is being waived for needed roster room after deals
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) March 15, 2012"
What it means for Blazers
In a nutshell, the Blazers no longer feel that Oden's upside is worth the consistent injuries that have plagued his career. Oden was the first pick of the 2007 NBA draft, but has played in only 82 games. He missed all of last season and hasn't played a game this season, so the trend is not going in the right direction.
If they had even a hint that Oden fit in to the long-term future of the team, it's highly unlikely he would have been waived today.
What is means for Oden
A change of scenery will not be a bad thing for Oden. While the injuries he's suffered have nothing to do with Portland, it's a hard stigma for the fans to get over.
Getting to go to a new city where the baggage isn't there will be a good thing for Oden, assuming he ever actually is able to play. As a Blazer, it will be hard to get past being the oft-injured player who was taken instead of Kevin Durant, especially when you consider this is the same team that chose Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.
In moving to a new team, the past baggage won't be there, resulting in more of a "fresh start" for Oden, who is still only 24.
