Portland Trail Blazers: A Dozen Reasons Why Free Agency Won't Help This Team

The Portland Trail Blazers are in a unique position.

They entered the 2011-12 season with high hopes that were only heightened after a 7-2 start.

Then things fell apart.

Last week they traded away two starters and fired their head coach.

After getting blown out by the Milwaukee Bucks last night, Portland finds itself 3.5 games out of the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture with a 21-25 record.

The dreams of the fans and the organization seem dashed.

There is reason, however, for Blazer fans to be optimistic. Despite not having a general manager, the Trail Blazers looked to the future by obtaining New Jersey’s top-three protected pick in this year’s draft.

The Nets are nearly the Blazers’ Eastern Conference equals: New Jersey is 13^th in the East while Portland is 12^th in the West.

If Portland lucks out and New Jersey does not get lucky in the lottery with one of the top three picks, the Blazers very well could have two lottery picks in the 2012 draft.

This year’s draft is said by experts to be much deeper than those in recent years. Owning two picks in the top 10 couldn’t come at a better time.

In addition, the Blazers are in position to have a ton of money in cap space this summer. That could help them flip those picks into a bona fide super star through a trade.

One might think all that money will help the Blazers lure a dreamy free agent—Deron Williams, anyone?  But let me give you a dozen reasons why Portland will not land a splashy free agent.

For the Trail Blazers’ 40^th anniversary, The Oregonian named the top 40 Trail Blazers of all time.

I have taken the top 12 with one substitution—I removed No. 11 Mychal Thompson and inserted current power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who was ranked No. 28 when this list was created more than two years ago—and traced their beginnings in Portland.

This list looks at how each of those players was acquired and breaks those acquisitions up into three categories: Draft, trade and free agency.

Free agency has not been good to Portland.

12: Rasheed Wallace

Rasheed Wallace was acquired along with Mitchell Butler from the Washington Bullets in a trade for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant. Wallace and Wesley Person were traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Theo Ratliff, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Dan Dickau.

Draft: 0

Trade: 1

Free Agency: 0

11: LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge was acquired on draft day in a trade with the Chicago Bulls. Portland sent the rights to Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa to Chicago for the rights to Aldridge and Demetris Nichols. Aldridge is currently the Blazers’ only All-Star.

Draft: 0

Trade: 2

Free Agency: 0

10: Jim Paxson

Jim Paxson was Portland’s top draft pick and the No. 12 pick overall in the 1979 draft. Portland traded Paxson to the Boston Celtics in 1988 for Jerry Sichting.

Draft: 1

Trade: 2

Free Agency: 0

9: Cliff Robinson

Cliff Robinson was a second-round draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers out of the University of Connecticut. He was picked 36^th overall. He left Portland as a free agent and signed with the Phoenix Suns.

Draft: 2

Trade: 2

Free Agency: 0

8: Jerome Kersey

Jerome Kersey was a steal for the Portland Trail Blazers as the No. 46 overall draft pick. He was eventually left unprotected in the expansion draft, where the Toronto Raptors selected him. He was never signed by Toronto and signed a free agent contract with the Golden State Warriors.

Draft: 3

Trade: 2

Free Agency: 0

7: Buck Williams

After establishing himself as a star with the New Jersey Nets, Buck Williams was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Sam Bowie’s broken legs and a draft pick that ended up becoming Mookie Blaylock. Williams left Portland as a free agent to sign with the New York Knicks.

Draft: 3

Trade: 3

Free Agency: 0

6: Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge arrived in the Portland organization within minutes of each other. Roy was acquired via a draft-day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Portland shipped the rights to Randy Foye to Minnesota in exchange for Roy. Roy retired prior to this season because of achy knees.

Draft: 3

Trade: 4

Free Agency: 0

5: Maurice Lucas

Maurice Lucas came to Portland in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. Portland sent Geoff Petrie to Atlanta in exchange for Lucas and Steve Hawes. Lucas was later traded to the New Jersey Nets with Mike Gminski and Albert King in exchange for Calvin Natt.

Draft: 3

Trade: 5

Free Agency: 0

4: Geoff Petrie

Geoff Petrie was Portland’s first ever draft pick. He was selected eighth overall in 1970—Portland’s first year as a franchise. He was later traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Maurice Lucas and Steve Hawes.

Draft: 4

Trade: 5

Free Agency: 0

3: Terry Porter

Terry Porter was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers as the No. 24 overall pick out of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He left Portland to sign as a free agent with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Draft: 5

Trade: 5

Free Agency: 0

2: Bill Walton

Bill Walton was Portland’s top pick and the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 1974 NBA draft. He left Portland as a free agent in 1979, signing with the San Diego Clippers. In return, Portland received in compensation Kevin Kunnert, Randy Smith, Kermit Washington and a first-round pick that ended up being Mike Gminski.

Draft: 6

Trade: 5

Free Agency: 0

1: Clyde Drexler

Clyde Drexler was picked 14^th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers after an outstanding career at the University of Houston. His career in Portland ended when he was traded back home to Houston in exchange for Otis Thorpe.

Draft: 7

Trade: 5

Free Agency: 0

0: Free Agents

A number of star players have spent time playing in either the Memorial Coliseum or the Rose Garden. All of them arrived at Portland International Airport either after being drafted by Portland or after being traded to Portland.

Not one of the top 12 players in franchise history made his way to the Trail Blazers by signing as a free agent.

Portland is expected to be $15-20 million under the salary cap this summer. That has a lot of fans licking their lips in hopes of landing a big name free agent.

One might think that, in the summer especially, a trip to Portland would help sway a free agent. Owner Paul Allen could entertain an A-list player on one of his two enormous yachts.

LaMarcus Aldridge could stroll through downtown with the new recruit, showing him how much Portland loves its Trail Blazers.

A trip to Beaverton to schmooze at Nike could be arranged to help that free agent sign a deal.

Don’t count on it.

The media market is not big in the Pacific Northwest. The TV cameras aren’t here. The endorsement money isn’t here.

Sure, Portland has a loaded owner, Nike and one of the league’s best fan bases, but history indicates that doesn’t pull enough weight in comparison with the billions of dollars Mark Cuban can spend on locker rooms or the extravagant parties one can find in Miami or the insane amount of media coverage provided in New York or Los Angeles.

The best bet for the Blazers to improve is to—gulp—tank this season and hope for the best in the lottery. By landing a top pick with their own ping pong ball and hoping New Jersey takes the No. 4 spot, Portland finds itself in tremendous position to improve its roster either through the draft or by trading those assets for a star player to complement the developing nucleus of Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and a hopefully-healthier Elliot Williams.