Hedo Turkoglu Aftermath: Portland Trail Blazers Still Looking to Make Big Splash

The general reaction from fans and columnists after Hedo Turkolgu jilted the Portland Trail Blazers for the mediocre Toronto Raptors was a sigh of relief. As part of this group, I was relieved, albeit a bit shocked, about his change of heart.

If he signed, he could have quickly become a nightmarish move by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. What if he didn’t mesh with Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and the rest of Portland's young talent?

A 54-win team in 2008-09, the Blazers are on the rise and avoided taking a step back and halting the development of their team.

If the move was finalized, Portland would have been stuck with him and his bad contract. Luckily, he and his wife preferred cosmopolitan Toronto.

Turkoglu, in an interview with Turkish website Haberturk Spor, stated his reasoning for choosing Toronto over Portland: "I've got used to both living in the East and the playing style of the Eastern Conference…Turning back to the Western Conference would’ve been a strange experience for me."

Though he became a star with the Orlando Magic, I'm sure he thought to himself, "The Western Conference is stacked, so why not stay in a conference where the competition is drastically worse."

He went on to say, "I would’ve been mentoring young and talented players in Portland, but in Toronto, they'll build the team around me and Bosh."

I am puzzled by this statement. The Blazers clearly have the better future and the better chance to win a championship.

So, instead of being a role player on a championship contender for the next five years, he chose to join a team that will struggle to make the playoffs next season; a team that probably won't be able to resign Bosh, who'll be a free agent during the much-anticipated summer of 2010.

Well, now that he’s off in Canada, the Blazers, apparently starving for a veteran star, have moved on to plans B and C. Charlotte Bobcats small forward Gerald Wallace, who excels both offensively and defensively, and who was on their wish list at the February trade deadline, is on their radar again.

Though he would give them a fully-developed version of Nicolas Batum, except without the playoff experience, there is one problem in their pursuit: The Bobcats have no intention of trading him.

Once that option lost steam, they began heavily pursuing free agent guard Andre Miller, formerly of the Philadelphia 76ers. For some reason, the Blazers, like their pursuit of Wallace, want a player at a position that is already adequately filled.

Miller, 33, is evidently the veteran Pritchard's looking for, but is quite possibly the worst point guard option they could pursue. He’s a good midrange scorer and an above-average passer, but to succeed in the Blazers offense, he’d have to be able to make three-pointers.

He hasn't been able to do this—he made only 28 percent of his 53 attempts last season, and is only a 21 percent three-point shooter in his career.

Great target, Pritchard. You must have been thinking, "I know, let's target a guy past his prime who can't hit a three to save his life." I'd rather remain competent, save money, and keep Steve Blake as the starter, who dished five assists per game last season and made 42 percent of his three-pointers.

Just when I was about to lose faith in Pritchard, the man who pulled off draft-day trades for Roy and Aldridge, he expressed interest in the lone player of necessity: Brandon Bass.

A free agent who can be had for a reasonable $5 million per season, Bass is a bulky power forward with a consistent midrange jumpshot. At 24, he's young and could give them the explosiveness and toughness they lack.

Reportedly, Bass has been offered a five-year, $25 million deal from an anonymous team. If they aren't this team, Portland should trump all other offers.

Why? Because he’s all they need.

Sure, the Los Angeles Lakers signed a star, Ron Artest, as did the Orlando Magic, inking Vince Carter, but the Blazers don't need to make an impulse purchase and acquire a proven All-Star.

They have Roy, who is the face of their franchise, Aldridge, a formidable sidekick, two defensively imposing centers in Joel Przybilla and 21-year-old Greg Oden, offensive spark plugs Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, and Martell Webster, a savvy defensive specialist, Nicolas Batum, explosive point guard Jerryd Bayless, and the self-acclaimed second coming of Tony Parker, rookie point guard Patrick Mills.

Clearly, given their depth and youth at every position, they don't need a star.

An invalid argument has been made that the Blazers need to make a drastic move in order to surpass the Lakers in the Western Conference, and the Magic in the Finals. They won 54 games last year, and if they hadn’t been matched up with the Houston Rockets in the first round, they may have gone deep into the playoffs.

Portland expects to win, but waiting a few years for a championship is worth it if means their youth is able to develop together.