SB Nation User Blog: Ben.

Reports: Hedo Changed His Mind, Likely to Become a Toronto Raptor

Ben. — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:20:17 -0000

** This post will be regularly updated as news comes in **

In a complete about-face from this morning's initial report, Hedo Turkoglu and the Portland Trail Blazers no longer have an agreement in principle in place.

Questions about the agreement were first mentioned by Ric Bucher on ESPNews and later raised by Jason Quick of The Oregonian.

Multiple reports now cite the Toronto Raptors as Hedo Turkoglu's likely destination, with a potential deal in the neighborhood of 5 years and $56 million, an offer that Portland cannot easily match.

This turn of events is a crushing blow to the carefully-laid free agency plans of Kevin Pritchard and Nate McMillan.

ESPN summarizes the turn of events...

After ESPN.com reported the agreement in principle, several news organizations confirmed it, using sources. Late Friday afternoon, the Oregonian reported that Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard and Turkoglu's agent, Lon Babby, had not confirmed the deal, but that talks were continuing.

Jason Quick of the Oregonian is reporting...

After a hectic 24 hours of face-to-face negotiations, The Oregonian has learned that free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu rejected the Trail Blazers' $50 million offer and announced he will look for another team.

"He's not coming,'' a source familiar with the negotiations said Friday evening.

In the end, it wasn't the money, it wasn't the team, and it wasn't the length of the contract.

"It just wasn't the right fit,'' the source said. "When you are talking about that much money, everybody involved has to feel great. If you don't on either side, it doesn't work.''

ESPN's Ric Bucher reported that Turkoglu's wife played a major factor in the decision

David Aldridge of NBA.com is reporting...

An already crazy free agent period in the NBA got downright bizarre on Friday, with the supposed sure deal between free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu and the Portland Trail Blazers falling apart late in the afternoon, with the veteran seriously contemplating taking an offer from the Toronto Raptors that may be in excess of the five-year, $50 million proposal the Blazers have had on the table since the start of the negotiating period on Wednesday.

"He won't be coming" to Portland, a league source said late Friday.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting...

Free agent Hedo Turkoglu has backed out of his commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers and plans to sign with the Toronto Raptors, a source close to the talks told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night.

Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50 million deal with the Blazers, but changed his mind and could be headed for a five-year, $56 million deal with the Raptors.

ESPN.com and Ric Bucher now report...

Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu has broken off negotiations with the Portland Trail Blazers, a source told ESPN's Ric Bucher on Friday night.

Yahoo! Sports reported that Turkoglu backed out of his earlier commitment and has his sights set on Toronto. Yahoo! Sports reported that Toronto can offer Turkoglu about $6 million more than Portland, but would have to trim its roster to do it.

Friday night, a report from the National Post newspaper in Canada said Turkoglu was close to signing with the Raptors, who could have to consider renouncing the rights to free agents Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino.

Bruce Arthur of the National Post writes....

The Toronto Raptors are very close to signing Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu as a free agent, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The franchise had been weighing the move for days, and it was even reported yesterday by numerous outlets that the Turkish forward had signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.

But Turkoglu broke off negotiations with Portland late in the evening, and appeared headed for Toronto. The Raptors could offer a deal beginning around US$10-million per year for as much as five years, with annual raises bringing the contract's maximum total to somewhere near US$56-million.

The deal does require Toronto to gut the team's roster depth, since Turkoglu's deal will force the team to renounce the rights to free agents Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, and Carlos Delfino. It may also force the Raptors to forgo the use of the mid-level exception, which was about US$5.5-million last year.

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who confirmed ESPN's report this morning, now writes...

Hours after agreeing in principle to a five-year contract with the Trail Blazers, free agent Hedo Turkoglu abruptly ceased negotiations and appears headed to the Toronto Raptors, a person directly involved in the negotiations told CBSSports.com.

"Hedo is headed to Toronto," said the person, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. "To sign."

But after a whirlwind day in which Turkoglu and his representative, Lon Babby, gave a verbal commitment to sign with the Blazers -- or were done in by what one rival executive termed "too many leaks and not enough info" -- determining Turkoglu's final landing spot is best left to those getting the signatures.

The situation was rapidly unfolding, and it was unclear Friday night whether Turkoglu had second thoughts or Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo swooped in and played his trump card -- the fact that Turkoglu and his wife were said to prefer landing in Toronto.

Henry Abbott has just posted the following...

Then, according to sources, something crazy happened. Hedo Turkoglu shifted course, deciding late in the day that he wanted a different house.

The Raptors had been serious in their pursuit of Shawn Marion and Carlos Delfino. Now the most likely scenario is that they'll be renounced or traded, along with Anthony Parker. To clear the kind of cap room that would be required to sign Turkoglu would probably take renouncing every free agent Toronto has, including Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Jake Voskuhl and some cap holds from players overseas. That would give the Raptors room to offer Turkoglu more money than Portland was offering -- although there are plenty of details left to be worked out, especially as Toronto may first try to trade some of those players instead of letting them go for nothing.

Toronto, as a roster and a city, offer an international flavor that Portland does not have. And with similar money, that proved more appealing than anyone had thought it would.

As for the Blazers? Well, no one likes wasting all that time almost getting a deal done. But there are worse thing than being back on the market, with nearly $9 million a year to spend.

More from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. He writes..

The details of how Turkoglu would wind up with the Raptors were sketchy. But given the fact that Toronto had already engaged in discussions about re-signing Marion and Delfino -- with varying degrees of progress -- signs pointed to a more complicated sign-and-trade avenue. That would entail multiple parties signing on, including the Magic, who have quietly stayed in the background of Turkoglu's quest for a new home after acquiring Vince Carter from the Nets last week to protect themselves against losing him. Such a scenario could drag on for days because of the moving parts involved, and the person familiar with Turkoglu's decision to spurn the Blazers for the Raptors did not know the details of how it would be worked out.

It is believed that Turkoglu's preference for Toronto was not the only factor. As always, money was the other, according to a source. In order to trump Portland's expected five-year, $50 million offer, Toronto would've needed to renounce its rights to Marion, Delfino, and Parker. Doing so would've allowed the Raptors to exceed the max Portland could pay by about $800,000 annually. It wasn't clear Friday night whether Portland drove a harder bargain after seeing Toronto's options dwindle; whether Colangelo swooped in with an 11th-hour bid; or whether Turkoglu's camp simply had second thoughts or believed it could get a better deal from the Raptors.

If anything was clear in this bizarre negotiation, it was that Turkoglu's discussions with the Blazers appeared irreparably broken.

"It's called an agreement in principle," one source said in describing the agreement between Turkoglu and the Blazers, without elaborating.

UPDATE (8:40PM): MICHAEL GRANGE TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL SAYS HEDO IS CONFIRMED AS A RAPTOR.

In a sudden rush at the end of a frenzied week, the Toronto Raptors have remade their roster and signed free-agent forward Hedo Turkoglu, The Globe and Mail has confirmed.

The versatile Orlando Magic forward appeared poised to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers until a late bid by the Raptors -- in excess of $50-million over five seasons for the 30 year-old -- caused the change of heart, even as Turkoglu was in Portland visiting with the Trail Blazers.

Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50-million (all currency U.S.) deal with the Blazers, but will sign with the Raptors for more than $10-million a season. Signing Turkoglu means the Raptors will have to renounce their rights to their existing free agents - Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker - to create the cap space for Turkoglu.

ESPN.com is now reporting...

Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind Friday, deciding not to join the Portland Trail Blazers, opting instead to accept an offer from the Toronto Raptors, sources told ESPN.com.

The Raptors last-minute bid will give Turkoglu all of the salary-cap space they will get by renouncing their rights to Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino. The Raptors expect to have about $10.1 million in cap space to give to Turkoglu for his first-year salary; he would get an eight percent annual raise over the next four seasons of the deal, a source told ESPN.com.

The Raptors have until July 7 to renounce Marion, Delfino and Parker, so it remains a possibility and that a sign-and-trade deal could take shape. But as of now, it is straight up deal between Turkoglu and Toronto.
Turkoglu's decision to go to the Raptors sent shock waves throughout the NBA as he apparently became the first player to renege on an agreement in principal since Carlos Boozer left Cleveland for Utah in 2004.

Bruce Arthur of the National Post now writes...

Make no mistake, this is a gamble. This is a roll of the dice in so many ways that the Raptors might as well put a roulette table at the end of the bench. That bench, incidentally, will now consist of a 6-foot-6 growler, a second-year point guard who looks 15, a guy whose nickname is Hump, and rotation players to be named later.

Yes, the Toronto Raptors, as they will soon be constituted, will be Chris-Bosh-as-a-rookie-thin, and short on stuff like rebounding and defence. But the pending acquisition of free agent Hedo Turkoglu is also a coup for a team whose relevance will be continue to be questioned until it makes some playoff noise. And it is sure as hell more likely to do that now that the team is very close to an agreement with Turkoglu, the 6-foot-10 forward from the Orlando Magic, as first reported Friday night by the National Post.

Bill Simmons tweets...

Hedo changed his mind in Portland after seeing Greg Oden limp towards him for a handshake. (Waiting.) What, too soon?

Seriously: Portland, you dodged a bullet. Hedo peaked 2 years ago. He might be 33 for all we know. You're better off. Trust me.

Mike Barrett writes...

... According to one very reliable source, I can tell you that Portland's part in this is over.

The Raptors are in a position to be able to reportedly offer Turkoglu a 5-year deal, worth over $56 million. The Blazers probably could get in a position to match that, but it wouldn't be easy, and I'm glad they're not trying to get there. As I'm sure you know, it's believed the Blazers were offering 5-years, $50 mill.

Sometimes it's simply about money, and it appears this is one of those cases. That's not being critical of Turkoglu at all, that's just the way it is. He said as much at PDX Thursday afternoon upon arriving.

...

As others have reported, including ESPN's Ric Bucher, Turkoglu's wife apparently strongly favored Toronto over Portland, because of its international population and culture. Of course, we can't confirm at this point if that was truly a factor. I can confirm that she wasn't with him on this trip to Portland, so I'm not sure what she had to comp are it to. Either way, it doesn't matter now.

UPDATE (9:45PM): Mike Barrett's post linked above has been pulled from Blazers.com.

UPDATE (9:57PM): To view a PDF of the blog post that was removed from Mike Barrett's blog, click here.

Tim Chisholm of TSN.CA writes...

I'm stunned.

Not because Hedo Turkoglu reneged on his deal with Portland, because all indications are that there was, in fact, no deal agreed upon.

Not because of the amount of money Hedo is being paid, because while it's more than he's worth it's the way the free agent game gets played.

UPDATE: (10:12PM) DAVID ALDRIDGE OF NBA.COM WRITES TURKOGLU HAS MADE VERBAL COMMITMENT TO TORONTO RAPTORS. 5 YEARS AND MORE THAN $60 MILLION.

Here's the link.

An already crazy free agent period in the NBA got downright bizarre on Friday, with the supposed sure deal between Orlando free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu and the Portland Trail Blazers falling apart late in the afternoon, and the veteran, late Friday evening, making a verbal commitment to the Toronto Raptors on a five-year deal that will pay him in excess of $60 million, according to league sources.

Turkoglu's change of heart--he was in Portland Thursday and Friday, meeting with team officials along with his agent, Lon Babby--came after the Raptors decided to do what they had been reluctant to do until then--renounce their rights to several of their own free agents, including forward Shawn Marion and guards Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino, in order to create the more than $10 million in cap room necessary to make a superior offer to Portland's.

A league source divulged late Friday that Portland's offer to Turkoglu was actually $57 million over five years, not the $50 million that has been reported. But by deciding to renounce their rights to the free agents, the Raptors can give Turkoglu a deal averaging more than $12 million annually. They only have a little more than $48 million committed for next season, including the first-year salary of rookie swingman DeMar DeRozan, taken ninth overall.

Ric Bucher now reports...

Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind Friday and decided not to join the Portland Trail Blazers, opting instead to accept a five-year $53 million offer from the Toronto Raptors, sources told ESPN.com.
The decision left the Blazers livid and was a huge coup for the Raptors, who have promised Turkoglu all of the salary-cap space they will have from renouncing their rights to Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino, which will likely add up to a starting salary in the $10.1 million range, with eight percent annual raises.

...

Turkoglu will make about $3 million more over the life of the contract than he would have made in Portland, but a bigger reason for his change of heart, a source told ESPN.com, was his desire to play in Toronto, a more international and cosmopolitan city -- one with a large Turkish population -- and his familiarity with the Eastern Conference after having spent the last five seasons with the Magic.

Turkoglu's about-face sent shockwaves throughout the NBA, and parallels were being drawn between his decision and the 2004 episode when Carlos Boozer reneged on a deal to re-sign with Cleveland after they released him from his contract, then stunned the Cavs by signing with Utah. The difference in this case, according to one person with detailed knowledge of the discussions, was that Turkoglu did not intentionally or unintentionally deceive the Blazers, but instead had a change of heart after giving the Blazers his word.

John Hollinger opines on ESPN Insider...

Anyone who saw the footage of Hedo Turkoglu meeting Blazers bigwigs at Portland International Airport on Thursday had to get a little bit of a weird feeling. Especially any married guys. Turkoglu came alone, amid rumors that his wife very strongly preferred to be in Toronto, and I remember thinking at that very moment that the Blazers recruiting pitch was doomed to failure. It was going to be tough to sell her on the charms of Portland if she wasn't there.

Thus, despite two days of Chamber of Commerce weather here in the Rose City, replete with blue skies and Mt. Hood views, and tours of the Blazers' first-rate training facility in Tualatin, Turkoglu isn't coming to the Blazers. After an 11th-hour Boozerang that will forever immortalize him as "Hedon't" in the local vernacular, the Turkoglus are heading to Toronto instead -- a place they never visited on this free-agent tour, apparently because they didn't need to be sold on it.
...

As for the Blazers, they can go in several directions from here, and can at least take comfort in the fact that they control the free-agent game until they make their next move. Portland might want to go after Sessions, a good young point guard who fills their need for a second quality pick-and-roll player -- albeit at a different position than Turkoglu.

They may also decide to punt on free agency and hope to play the trade market, but that's a risky strategy. If they don't get something done by the trade deadline, the opportunity will basically be gone forever because next year extensions for Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge will kick in, and it's not clear that somebody will come available who fits what they need.

They might also try to make a long-shot run at Lamar Odom, perhaps the best player left on the board and one who, like Turkoglu, could provide another offensive creator while swinging between the two forward spots. But the rainy weather and a location 90 minutes inland don't exactly jibe with Odom's stated preference to live on the beach. The most likely outcome of an Odom pursuit would be driving up the price for the rival Lakers.

Alternatively, the Blazers could try to target a Sixth Man shot creator like New York's Nate Robinson, or make a run at Philadelphia's Andre Miller, the latter not a great fit in my opinion, but a possibility given their need at the point.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Breaking News: Portland And Hedo Have Reached An Agreement in Principle

Ben. — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:46:47 -0000

According to Henry Abbott of TrueHoop, as first reported on ESPN's SportsCenter, the Portland Trail Blazers have reached an agreement in principle with free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu. The terms of the deal have not been finalized.

The rumored structure according to multiple sources is that the Blazers' offer will approach the 5 years and $50 million previously reported.

Via Google Chat, Henry Abott writes...

There are a lot of players Portland could have offered that money to. But there are not a lot who can both shoot and create for other shooters. When you get that in a player who is also extremely long, comfortable in crunch time, and playoff-tested ... it makes a lot of sense.

The earliest the deal can be announced is Wednesday, July 8.

Update (11:44AM): Here's the ESPN link.

Although a verbal commitment may be announced sooner, the terms of the contract cannot be finalized until Wednesday, after the NBA informs teams what next year's salary cap will be.

Update (12:08PM): Ken Berger has confirmed this report.

Update (12:31PM): On ESPN INSIDER, John Hollinger writes...

At first, it makes no sense. Why would the Portland Trail Blazers pay Hedo Turkoglu $50 million?

Thanks to his position as a key ballhandler on a conference champion, Turkoglu has become one of the league's most overrated players: a 30-year-old forward who has had league-average PER numbers the past three seasons. Clearly, he isn't worth $50 million, which is the rumored price, and in a couple of years he might not be worth half of $50 million.

Yet in a roundabout way, it makes a lot of sense for Portland to offer him $50 million.

Update (1:30PM): Henry Abbott went on 95.5FM The Game to discuss the Hedo Turkoglu signing. I tried to transcribe as carefully as I could in real time... here's some of what he said...

Initial thoughts

It's an interesting move... you never love free agency because you take a whole bunch of money and are choosing from a limited menu... given their options, it makes all kinds of sense to me... it makes a ton of sense to me... you're already spreading the floor with shooters... now Turkoglu can be a second option to take some pressure off Brandon Roy... He has wanted 5 years and 50 million dollars... Portland has agreed to get there or darn close to there..

Did they overpay?

Probably a little.. but that's the way free agency works... a much poorer value is to have 9 million under the cap and not get somebody... especially when he's 35 it will really look like they are overpaying...

Who else were they looking at?

The Blazers really don't take on any players that can't shoot... that limits their options... as long as that's the case you're choosing from a very limited menu...

What do they want from Hedo?

You've got to be a teammate, you've got to be a winner, you've got to be a shooter... almost alone among NBA players that you can plug into the Blazers team and run the same things they've been running and just get more efficient scoring.

Will this change the team's approach?

I wonder if maybe having a 30 year old guy who has been deep in the playoffs might inspire Nate to loosen the reigns a little bit on the fast break.

95.5's online stream cut to commercials during that portion of the interview.

Update (1:30PM): Jason Quick offers this confirmation...

The 6-foot-10 small forward, one of the top commodities in this year's free agent market, arrived in Portland on Thursday afternoon and reached tentative agreement on a five-year, $50 million deal shortly before noon today.

Turkoglu and his agent, Lon Babby, are expected to be at the team's practice facility around 2 p.m., for a meeting during which details and formalities will be ironed out.

...

Kevin Pritchard intimated that he has at least one more move ahead this summer, which figures to involve one of the Blazers three returning small forwards - Travis Outlaw ($3.6 million this season), Martell Webster ($4.3 million) or second-year player Nicolas Batum ($1.2 million).

Update (1:45PM): Ric Bucher on ESPN News just said...

They do not have an agreement. There is a deal, 5 years and 52 million that is apparently on the table. I've been told by a couple of sources it's not done yet. It's not a matter of fit. It's a matter of going to Portland, quite honestly. I know his wife is very interested in going to Toronto. They right now are sitting back to see what happens. I would say Turkoglu is either going to leave Portland and have a deal done or closing the door on that situation and moving forward with Toronto. I was told it was very close this morning but the fact that we don't have anything concrete at this point suggests that there's still some mulling being done on the part of Turkoglu.

What?

Update (2:13PM): ESPN's original report on the agreement in principle remains up on ESPN.com.

Update (2:24PM): Henry Abott offers his take on Hedo-to-Portland by citing this section of Hollinger's analysis...

Portland's approach makes sense even if the dollars seem excessive at first glance. Yes, they're overpaying Hedo Turkoglu, and given his age it's possible they'll end up eating the last two years of the contract. But the way cap space works is that a team might get only one shot at using it, and must take advantage by making the best, strongest move it can for the best fit available.

Turkoglu for $50 million is an imperfect solution, certainly, but it's a far better one than squandering the space by waiting, or by paying similar money to jam a square peg into a round hole. And as Turkoglu's soon-to-be-former teammates in Orlando showed last month, even in the current economic situation overpaying for a part that fits can work out awfully well.

Update (2:56PM): Jason Quick re-writes his lede...

Despite published reports to the contrary, Hedo Turkoglu has not reached an agreement with the Trail Blazers, a team source announced at 2:20 p.m. Friday.

Update (6:20 p.m.): Jason Quick now says no deal

The Oregonian has learned that free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu has rejected an offer to sign with the Trail Blazers and has ended negotiations with the team.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Poll

Hedo Turkoglu is finally a Portland Trail Blazer.

Friday Hedo Watch

Ben. — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:03:28 -0000

10:42AM: ESPN Sportscenter's report: "Hedo Turkoglu, according to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher, he and the Trail Blazers have been meeting and Hedo Turkoglu is still in Portland where the two sides are hammering out a deal."

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11:17AM: Michael Grange of The Globe and Mail is reporting the Raptors are close to signing Shawn Marion to a 4 year and $34 million deal. This would leave the Blazers as Hedo's only serious suitor.

I think signing Marion, adding the likes of Kleiza and Delfino and maybe finding a way to keep Parker (long-shot; Real Madrid is coming hard) is the most direct route to 45+ wins. I'd like to see them find a really solid water-bug type as a back-up point guard too, but I don't think the money is going to line up.

But at some point Marion's going to have realize that the market really has shifted in a very short amount of time. If I'm him I take the Raptors money and be glad of it.

Doesn't sound like Hedo is in the cards for Toronto. Hopefully, from the Blazers standpoint, this helps deflate Hedo's asking price a little bit.

----------------

I am surprised but not shocked to wake up this morning and not find a report that KP sealed the deal with Hedo last night. Are we in store for another quiet day of non-news? Let's hope not.

Image via playerwives.com.

Ken Berger had this report late last night...

While the Portland Trail Blazers hosted Hedo Turkoglu for an elaborate free-agent visit Thursday, the team that could spoil the party was still plotting.

As of early Friday, the Toronto Raptors had yet to decide whether to trump the Blazers with an offer for the 30-year-old forward. Portland is offering a five-year deal for approximately $50 million. Toronto, which is believed to be the preferred choice of Turkoglu's wife, could beat that by about $800,000 per year once it clears cap space through trades or by renouncing its rights to free agents Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, and Carlos Delfino.

Chris Broussard of ESPN sums up Toronto's situation perfectly...

It may seem like the Raptors are mere spectators in this free-agent circus, but they're quietly active behind the scenes. The team has had exploratory talks with several free agents, though they have yet to offer a contract to anyone.

...

Toronto has had similar talks (for different amounts of money) with several other players, including Linas Kleiza, David Lee and Hedo Turkoglu. Several league execs believe Turkoglu prefers to play in Toronto (because of its international character) instead of Portland, but it's not clear whether the Raptors will make an offer.

By renouncing Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino and waiving Quincy Douby, the Raptors could clear enough cap room to offer Turkoglu $56.5 million over five years. But that would force the Raptors to fill out their roster with minimum-salaried players, and they're worried about not having enough depth. So at present, they're leaning toward re-signing Marion and Delfino.

Once the Blazers make an offer to Turkoglu, the Raptors will decide whether to try and outbid them.

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel talks with Orlando GM Otis Smith...

As far as Turkoglu is concerned, he is being given the full-court press by the Trail Blazers and visited Portland on Thursday. Reports say that the Blazers could offer Turk a five-year, $50-million contract. The Toronto Raptors are also said to be in play for Turkoglu, 30, a versatile small forward who played the past five seasons in Orlando.

Smith said the it would be "a long-shot to get something done" with Turkoglu, but added that he had spoken with Lon Babby, Turkoglu's agent, and they agreed to talk before Turkoglu accepted a contract proposal with any team.

"We had a conversation with Lon about where we would go when he comes back," Smith said. "We'll see if it makes more sense to us. We like Turk, there's no question about that. But we've said that it was a long-shot to get something done."

Wendell Maxey writes...

Sounds like a return flight to Orlando may not be in the works - at least not until Saturday.

Until then, the Blazers plan on showing and telling Turkoglu millions of reasons why he should sign with the Blazers this offseason: 5 years for $50 million to be exact. Toronto is reportedly also interested in Hedo and should be able to offer him more financially. But the Blazers - who finished with 54 wins last season and made the playoffs - are in a better position to win right now, and while money will eventually determine the outcome of Turkoglu's destination, every player wants the chance to play for a winner.

...

Turkoglu said the sooner he can finalize a deal, the better it would be for him and his offseason preparation. And with guys like Ben Gordon (5 years, $55 million with Detroit), Artest (5 years, $33 million with the Lakers), Ariza (5 years, $33 million with Houston) already having handshake deals with their new respective teams, Hedo shouldn't be far behind with the Blazers expected to make their move in the coming days.

More Wendell Maxey on life after Hedo..

Even though Portland is basically bidding against themselves at this point, it appears this thing is already a done deal. Just need to extend an offer, agree on an amount and draw up the contracts (well, and wait until July 8 to make if official). Everything else is for the camera.

Once Hedo is locked-up though, where then do the Blazers turn their attention?

Dwight Jaynes writes...

This is a player who was a critical piece on a team that won the Eastern Conference championship. He was wanted back. He would have been paid well to come back. He was valued by his coaches and employed perfectly within the team's system to maximize his own talents. He was appreciated by fans and teammates alike and, in fact, had just gone through a long, long playoff march with those teammates. That team still has a lot of upside - and, in fact, he was part of building something special in Orlando.

But he has chosen to leave. For what? Really, I don't think you can say it's anything but money

Coup from Rip City Project writes...

Trevor Ariza will sign with the Houston Rockets, essentially completing the non-trade trade of Ron Artest-for-Ariza. That's one less small forward for Portland to worry about in their pursuit of Turkoglu, but it also might ramp up the competition from Toronto if they should desire.

Mike Barrett steps up the sell job...

Odds are, Turkoglu is going to be wearing a Trail Blazers jersey next season. Don't tell KP's team that yet, as for them the selling will go on until Saturday. But, this is starting to look like it's going to be just a matter of time.

...

Turkoglu is the best option available. As we saw in the playoffs, this team needs not only a veteran presence, but needs a third scorer. It needs someone who can create their own shot, creative mismatches, handle the ball on the perimeter, and shoot with range. Mostly though, it needs another player who makes his teammates better.
Plain and simple, Turkoglu would make Greg Oden better. He'd take pressure off Brandon Roy, and his offense would result in more quality looks for LaMarcus Aldridge.

...

If you're looking for some big announcement from the Blazers on this you'll have to wait a few days, even if everything works out. Any word on an agreement being reached has to come from the player's side, until July 8th.

John Canzano's twitter..

Bumped into Hedo last night downtown PDX... he looks/feels right at home. If we get word it will have to come from Turkoglu's camp.

Wikipedia scooped everyone! Click to enlarge image.

Michael Grange of the Globe and Mail writes...

(The floor for Turkoglu and Lee is a five-year deal starting at $10-million a season, while Ariza is hoping for something in the $8-million range as he tries to capitalize on his strong play during the NBA final.)

If they're going to get the money they want, their representatives need some competition for their services. That would explain the smoke signals that for the right money, all three would make their way north to Toronto. That in itself is a triumph of sorts, indicating that even though the Raptors struggled last season, their approach on and off the floor has gained traction across the league. They had a bad year, sure, but it's not a bad organization.

As always, drop links in the comments.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Poll

What's worse?

Artest to LA Lakers; Ariza to Rockets

Ben. — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:58:57 -0000

Was holding off a bit to wait for confirmation on the dollars...

Looks like Ron Artest is headed to LA LA for 3 years and $18 million. Ken Berger broke this story.

Trading jerseys with Ron somewhere over New Mexico will be Trevor Ariza, who is getting 5 years and $33.5 million. I believe Marc Stein broke this one.

The pressure for KP to lock down Hedo goes up by the signing.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Poll

What happened here?

Hedo At PDX

Ben. — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:12:26 -0000

Update: Here's a link to Jason Quick's lengthy rundown of today's events.

Blazers coach Nate McMillan and Pritchard are both convinced that Turkoglu is the right piece to push the young and successful Blazers over the top and into championship contenders. Portland had 54 wins last season but was ousted in the first round of the playoffs by Houston, which suffocated Blazers stars Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge with double teams. With Turkoglu, the Blazers figure they will be a tough team to defend.

McMillan, who dined with Turkoglu on Wednesday night in Orlando, has been emphatic in his endorsement of Turkoglu, urging Pritchard to seal the deal. Pritchard meanwhile said he grew to admire Turkoglu even more this spring while watching him help Orlando reach the NBA Finals.

...

The Blazers' minds are made up. Turkoglu is the one. In the hours remaining until he leaves Saturday, the team must convince Turkoglu the Blazers are the right team for him.

Oregonlive.com has posted the following video from Joel Odom.

The video shows Hedo Turkoglu's arrival to PDX; also shown are the four horsemen -- Kevin Pritchard, Tom Penn, Mike Born, and Chad Buchanan.

Hedo Turkoglu arrives for Portland visit

Here's a rough transcript.

On the Blazers...

"This team is built on a bunch of great young players... if things works out, I'll just be the experienced guy, being in different situations, being in different roles and trying to help those guys make the next step.

Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, they built the team around those guys.... It will be healthy for the future, for the NBA, me being added here would be the piece they've been looking for, the experienced guy on the floor that can help those guys make the next step."

Where are things now...

It's hard for me to say right now about the stiuation, I'm just happy to be here. Just see the situation, what's best for both of us. Hopefully at the end we'll have some agreement."

Is money important...

"Of course money is important. We can't kid ourselves. On the money side you have to look what's best for you basketball wise. Where you stop and then where you can continue to build on. For me coming over here is a chance for me to have that kind of run I've been having for a few years."

When do you expect a resolution...

"The sooner is better. Then I can really schedule myself this summer, where I'm going to be, where I'm going to stay, where I'm going to leave... then I'll have that commitment to get to know my teammates more. Like I said I'm just going to lay it out there and see what's good for both sides."

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Poll

Is this a done deal?

Thursday Hedo Watch

Ben. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:53:46 -0000

At some point I expect to spontaneously combust if I read more non-news on Hedo but given that this is the first big-name free agent the Blazers have chased in years I'll keep going wall-to-wall with the link coverage. As noted in Prez's fanpost, feel free to drop links in these threads and I'll get them up ASAP.

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This afternoon on his radio show Wheels At Work, Blazers Radio play by play announcer Brian Wheeler stated that if things continue to develop as they have been, the Blazers could potentially reach an agreement in principle with Hedo Turkoglu as early as tomorrow.

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This afternoon on 1080 The Fan, Jason Quick said he believes there's a "96 % chance" Hedo will be a Blazer.

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Clyde Drexler weighs in on Hedo on 95.5's MSP this morning. Download the audio here...

Obviously, he's proven himself as a very good player... he's a seasoned veteran.... Do you have a position for him? Power Forward? Small Forward? Do you play him at Point Forward? You have to have an offense designed for his calibre of play.

The Blazers are obviously young, deep and talented and have the best team for the future in the entire league...

Adding a guy like Turkoglu can only improve the chemistry. But if you add Turkoglu, who do you take out of the mix? You've got Fernandez, who I think is just as good. I don't get it.

John Hollinger weighs in on Hedo-to-Portland during a live chat...

I like it .. not sure I love it. He's not really a $50 million player or anything close to it, but he's probably the best fit of the players available.

Why Hedo over Ariza?

Blazers desperately want another player who can create off the dribble so they're not so ridiculously dependent on Roy, something Houston exposed in last year's playoffs. So Hedo fits -- the Blazers can even use the "no PG" lineup like Orlando did and play Rudy-Turk-Roy in the backcourt. As for Ariza, my presumption has been that LA would match any offer for Ariza, and despite the comments put out there yesterday it's not clear to me that LA really isn't willing to go past midlevel for him -- now if they can get Artest for the same money THEN I think Ariza is very portable and a team like Portland should pounce.

What is the biggest downside of bringing in Hedo?

The fact that he's 30 and might stink in two years. That's the downside potential.

Say the Blazers sign Turk. Who do they then trade out of Bayless, Mills, Blake, Rudy, Webster, and Outlaw... you can't have all those guys... can you?

I suspect Outlaw is the one that goes .. cap-friendly with just one year left at $4 mil, and his shot-creating ability won't be needed so much.

Doug Smith of the Toronto Star...

The Raptors seem to have pulled back on a decision to take a run at Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu, who now seems a good bet to land in Portland.

Still, two NBA sources said yesterday they thought Turkoglu was more interested in landing in Toronto than the Pacific Northwest. A report yesterday afternoon that Toronto was planning some exorbitant $60 million offer, however, was debunked by a handful of sources. It would take Toronto renouncing the rights to Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, Carlos Delfino and others to get a Turkoglu deal done and one league source said a deal with Delfino was "close."

Ken Berger of CBS Sports...

The Toronto Raptors, for one, are deliberating what it would take to make Turkoglu an offer that would top the the five-year, $50 million proposal that Portland can offer, as reported early Wednesday by CBSSports.com. According to a person familiar with the situation, the Raptors are mulling whether they would be better off making a pre-emptive strike for Turkoglu -- which would entail renouncing the rights to Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino, and Anthony Parker -- or trying to keep those players and sign a mid-level free agent. Toronto has yet to offer an extension to 2010 free agent Chris Bosh; that decision is tied to the others. And Turkoglu isn't the only free agent Toronto is considering. League sources indicated early Thursday that the Raptors also were contemplating an offer to restricted free agent David Lee.

Dwight Jaynes with a look at the minute crunch...

If Turkoglu comes to Portland at upwards of $9 million per season, you can expect the team to use him at least 36 minutes a game. A small portion of that time could come at power forward, of course. But the other problem for Rudy is that the Blazers are going to want playing time for their backup small forward(s) - either a developing Batum, who simply cannot ride the pines with his defensive skills, or Martell Webster, who, if he's healthy is going to be a big help with his outside shooting. Or both.

Dwight Jaynes sums up what makes for successful "recruiting"...

Forget the tours. Don't worry about the fancy dinner or the luxury items.

Be careful about bidding against yourself, but you better acknowledge right now what it's really all about. It's always about the money. Always....

Wendell Maxey looks at the market rate being set for NBA free agents...

Ben Gordon was busy laughing all the way to the bank.

Gordon verbally agreed to a five-year, $55 million deal with the Detroit Pistons on the first day of free-agency, and in doing so set the bar far too high for the other free-agents out there looking to get paid in full.

In other words, Ben Gordon done messed the game up.

Because that's the kind of deal Hedo is looking for.

It appears that the Blazers do indeed have an issue on their hands when it comes to Rudy.

Check out this news of a Spanish Radio interview Rudy just gave... translated and summarized by our good friend in Spain amlmart1...

Acording to Marca Rudy talked to Efe Radio:

1º.- There´re always rumors and he knows about them from the press.

2º.- He hasn´t talked to his agents about him leaving the Blazers. He has only comented with them about the possibility of Turkoglu going to Portland.

3º.- He doesn´t close doors to any team from Europe or the NBA.

4º.- Asked about whether Torkoglu going to Portland might affect his playing time, he said: I want to play. We´ll have to talk with Portland and ask them how can I do it.

Also from amlmart1, here's a translated take on the same interview posted on ACB.com...

" Turkoglu is a Guard and we are speaking about almost six for two positions. This makes me think that the team does not give me space for my work. I have demonstrated that I could be more of a factor."

"I have been surprised with the minutes that I have played but if now they pick up a player in my position, that will stop my progression, and what I want is minutes so I can improve."

Nate Jones talks about Ariza in Portland (scroll down or click here for Dave's take)...

Turk is also on the wrong side of 30. I've never been a fan of giving long term deals to non-elite perimeter players over the age of 30.

In contrast, Trevor Ariza does not need the ball in his hands to be effective. On offense he gets his points by slashing to the bucket, picking up garbage put-backs around the rim and hitting spot-up 3s. Also, he's an absolute defensive stud that would help the Blazers in their struggles of guarding some of the league's quicker PGs. He's also only 24 years old.

On top of that, stealing Ariza away from the Lakers would weaken the Blazers' toughest conference foe.

Raptor Blog has this analysis...

Hedo Turkoglu, 30 years old - The greatest Turkish player in NBA history is one of the hottest commodities on the free agent market. Strengths: Hedo is a savvy, gifted offensive player who can contribute both as a scorer and playmaker. Weaknesses: It's a testament to Dwight Howard's impact that the Magic were able to disguise what a mediocre defender he is. Also, he's incredibly overrated as a clutch shooter.

The Dino Nation Blog has come out against Hedo...

According to many sources I am suppose to believe Bryan Colangelo is willing to pass out 50 to 60 million dollars toHedo? That is a hell of a lot of pizza money. Portland and the Raps said to be the front runners. This is one time I am cheering really hard for Raptors to lose. Because if you lose in the end you will really win. That sounds very Yogi Berra like did it not?

Max Handelman of Beyond Bowie writes...

It's funny how conventional wisdom so quickly coalesces, and hardens into an almost impenetrable truth. Right now, in Blazerville, support for signing Hedo Turkoglu (to a reported 5-year, $50 million contract) is probably running at about 10-1.

Where is that number coming from? Sean's Oregonlive poll today has it roughly 50/50. Our previous polls this week have been regularly Anti-Hedo.

John Canzano had a piece about pizza and water.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Poll

Your preference?

The Latest on Hedo/Rudy

Ben. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:02:38 -0000

Yahoo! Sports' Awoj reports...

In what would be a brazen bid to usurp the Portland Trail Blazers on Hedo Turkoglu, the Toronto Raptors are considering making an offer to the free-agent forward, league sources said.

Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo could make an offer totaling close to $56 million if he cleared additional salary-cap space by renouncing Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino.

Turkoglu, a unrestricted free agent who had a terrific postseason for the Orlando Magic, has been the centerpiece of Portland's free-agent recruitment. He is expected to travel to Portland on Thursday to visit the Blazers. Portland could likely offer a five-year, $50 million contract.

This report seems to directly contradict earlier reports that the Raptors were no longer in the Hedo hunt.

Jason Quick, however, comes through with more on the team's side of today's earlier report on Rudy Fernandez's apparent unhappiness with the chase for Hedo Turkoglu.

The "news" that Rudy Fernandez is "infuriated" with the Trail Blazers for their interest in Hedo Turkoglu comes as a surprise to coach Nate McMillan and general manager Kevin Pritchard, both of whom had separate conversations with the guard earlier this week on the phone.

"I just spoke with Rudy two days ago, to see how he was doing, and he said he was doing fine and that he was happy,'' McMillan said. "I talked to him about our moves, and how we did in the draft, and why we did what we did in the draft and he was fine with it. We talked about Sergio (Rodriguez) and he was OK with everything we've done.''

As mentioned and linked below, Casey Holdahl has audio that appears to confirm Rudy's general happiness with his situation in Portland.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

The Plot Thickens: Rudy Mad About Hedo?

Ben. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:34:26 -0000

Uh oh. Things just got interesting.

From Chris Sheridan at ESPN...

Portland's pursuit of a certain player from Turkey has infuriated the Trail Blazers' lone remaining Spanish player, Rudy Fernandez, to the point where he'd prefer to play in Greece, Russia or even Spain again, ESPN.com learned Tuesday.

A league source told ESPN.com that Fernandez has already been courted informally by European powerhouses Olympiacos, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and CSKA Moscow as word spread that the Blazers had become the apparent front-runners to land free agent Hedo Turkoglu.

...

The Blazers have been made aware of Fernandez's feelings, the source said. The source added that Fernandez has not formally requested a trade but has expressed his dissatisfaction with the way he was used by Portland coach Nate McMillan over the course of his rookie season.

Click through to his full report to read the financial specifics and what would need to happen for Rudy to play abroad next year.

It's very difficult to imagine Rudy not being in the NBA next year. But perhaps this gives a little credence to potential trade whispers. At some point, something does have to give if you bring in Hedo. But I find it hard to believe that that "something" would be Rudy...

Speaking of Rudy, Casey Holdahl continues to hit homeruns with his coverage from Mallorca. Check it out!

Casey even took the following picture of a "furious" Rudy, clearly angered by all the Hedo talk.

IMPORTANT UPDATE::

4:33PM Check out this audio file of Rudy's assembled thoughts this week (likely taken before this morning's report) provided by Blazers.com World Traveler Casey Holdahl. A partial transcription...

I think it's difficult the first year... I think about my family when I'm in Portland... In Portland I'm very happy. The fans are incredible with me. The team is great, great players, great persons, I think everything is good.

Sergio helped me a lot in the transition the first year. But LA, Brandon, Joel, Travis everyone helped me transition to the team.

Everyday I think about Mallorca and Barcelona. My dream is to play in the NBA.

On Sergio's Trade...

I think it's an opportunity for Sergio to play in Sacramento. To play minutes. For me, I'm not happy that Sergio go to another team... but I have big friends in Portland, these are great guys. I'm happy because Sergio right now is happy.

Message to Fans in Portland...

I miss Portland, yes, for sure. I miss the fans. Thank you for coming to Mallorca to see the camp.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Poll

Who do you want?

Marc Stein: Hedo Eating With Nate, Touring Portland

Ben. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:31:15 -0000

9:33AM ESPN's Marc Stein just tweeted...

Hedo Turkoglu is having dinner with Nate McMillan tonight. Hedo's then touring Portland on Thursday. ESPN.com link forthcoming shortly

And here's a link to Marc Stein's ESPN piece.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan is flying to Orlando to have a Wednesday night dinner with the Blazers' top free-agent target, Hedo Turkoglu.

Turkoglu's agent, Lon Babby, said Wednesday that Turkoglu will then travel to Oregon for a Thursday tour of the Blazers' facilities and meetings with Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard and assistant GM Tom Penn

....

Turkoglu is widely expected to land with the Blazers as the first marquee free-agent signing of Pritchard's reign.

Chris Broussard on ESPN radio...

"There's no way he goes back to Orlando. They're not going to have the money. They offered him close to $9 a year for 4 years. Now that they have Vince Carter, Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis on the books... they won't be able to come close to that offer.

The only way he could end up back in Orlando is if Portland and Toronto withdrew offers or didn't make offers, if Detroit doesn't make him an offer and then he has to settle for the Mid-Level Exception, then Orlando could pay him that.

Portland can offer him $9 million dollars a year to start they are very interested in him. Bryan Colangelo is going to go hard after Hedo (ed. note: pause). He's dying to get him up there. He's going to wind up in one of those two spots."

More Chris Broussard on ESPN video...

Portland reached out right away to Turkoglu. They made him a priority. They can offer him a long term contract starting around 9 million dollars a year. Orlando can't come close to that...

Toronto also has a lot of interest. Detroit may have interest. Turkoglu will either go to Portland or Toronto. Portland is probably the favorite at this point.

Even more Chris Broussard on another ESPN video... he's exposing himself here...

He's going [from Orlando]. It's a neck and neck between Portland Toronto. I'm going to say Toronto because GM Bryan Colangelo is desperate to sign Hedo. He wants a starting lineup of Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh.

1:14PM: Jason Quick of The Oregonian...

Sources say Toronto is preparing an offer of five years and $60 million for Turkoglu.

...

A source inside the Blazers said Turkoglu's signing is designed to provide more help for team star Brandon Roy, who was surrounded by defenders in a first-round playoff loss to Houston. Turkoglu, the Blazers figure, is such a good passer and shooter, that it would alleviate the pressure for Roy to create all the offense.

Turkoglu, 30, plays small forward, a position that is already heavily fortified for the Blazers. If he signs in Portland, it would probably signal a trade of either Martell Webster, Nicolas Batum or Travis Outlaw.

4:12PM: Jason Quick has reversed course, apparently, telling 1080AM The Fan that the Raptors are no longer in the running for Turkoglu.

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.

"I heard from five teams last night. Portland was first right at midnight," Babby said.
Asked if the Magic were one of those teams, Babby said, "I have not spoken with (General Manager ) Otis (Smith) yet."
The Magic are not expected to be in the running for Turkoglu after signing Vince Carter.
The other teams pursuing Turkoglu, 30, are likely to be the Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wishes Hedo happy trails.

I know, the free-agency period just started at midnight Tuesday and it's not yet official that Turk will sign with another team. I read the article where Magic General Manager Otis Smith hasn't completely shut the door on bringing back Turk. I even spoke with Turk's agent, Lon Babby, who also left the door cracked when he said, "I'm not ready to talk about Hedo and the Magic in the past tense."

Come on, can we stop kidding ourselves? The chances of Turk re-signing with the Magic are about the same as Bernie Madoff getting elected banker for the Monopoly tournament during board-game night at the federal pen.

John Canzano tweeted this morning...

Communicated with Hedo Turkolu's agent this morning... interesting stuff... I'll have the latest on the BFT 3-6 p.m. on 95.5-FM.

Dwight Jaynes on DwightJaynes.com...

It's a test, too - can this franchise lure a key player to Portland? Can Kevin Pritchard make this city a destination for good players looking to win a championship? Or are those players going to do what they usually do - stay with their original team for money or seek the big markets and/or the sun belt?

That's what we should all be thinking about. But just from the comments in the last few days about Hedo Turkoglu, I have a feeling a lot of Trail Blazer fans are pretty conflicted. Is this really the player who is going to put Portland over the top? Is small forward the position where you felt the most need? Is this a guy you want to see $50 million invested in?

Runyon over at the Trail Post feels strongly...

I never thought I'd see the day when Kevin Pritchard falls victim to that horrible specter known as "conventional wisdom" but here we are. We see a guy who has never been great produce well in one playoffs, and all of a sudden he's the hottest commodity out there. Why aren't we running his numbers through the thousand Nobel-worthy algorithms that we use in the draft? This is free agency in a recession, and we're the big buyer. We don't need to blow it on a guy that offers little marginal improvement.

Coup from Rip City Project with his take...

We agree that the signing would make Outlaw very expendable, but while I know it's a common thought to say "there won't be enough shots to go around", that angle gets overblown every single year around this time. Free agents know what kind of situation they are signing into, and do you really believe Hedo or Roy and Co. are going to complain if they're winning. On every championship team every year, there are players that could/should get more shots with another franchise.

Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune..

Two sources say they don’t expect small forward Hedo Turkoglu to land in Portland. The 6-10, 220-pound Turkoglu, 30, opted out of a contract with Orlando that would have reaped $7.3 million next season, and he rejected a four year, $35-million extension offer by the Magic shortly after the NBA finals.

"Anybody who’s a decent player, Portland might make a run at him," one of the sources says. "I think it’s more likely (Turkoglu) winds up with Toronto, but you never know."

Jason Fleming from HoopsWorld.com...

Will the Blazers convince Turkoglu they have the right place for him to sign what is likely to be his final big contract of his career? Both sides must be on the same page so far, since all of this likely leaves little room for Turkoglu to get the hard sell from anyone else (namely the Detroit Pistons, who were also linked to him initially).

Word from sources close to the Blazers is that if the team does sign Turkoglu the deal won't be for the widely reported number of $10 million per season - no word on what it would actually be.

Kelly Dwyer with his thoughts...

They're trying to add a guy who made his hay as a late-game finisher? Read that again. His value is inflated because of his late-game heroics. The team would be overpaying for something it already has in spades.

What is wrong with this picture? Why are they adding a player who is past his prime (Hedo's numbers dropped across the board in 2008-09, after hitting an NBA players' typical career-best at age 29, in 2007-08) to a team full of players that haven't even hit their prime?

...

Portland, Hedo Turkoglu is 30. He's a fine player, but an average one, especially after you factor defense in. Please act accordingly.

More Dwight Jaynes on Rudy implications...

LATE ADD: The word around the league is that Rudy's agent has made it clear to the Trail Blazers that if Turkoglu signs with Portland, it's time to trade Rudy.

Henry Abbott weighs in over at Beyond Bowie...

"They all shoot and create. I don't know what their plan is, but if I coached, I'd always have at least two playmakers on the floor. Rudy, Hedo and Roy. So Rudy and Hedo are speed unit while Roy rests. (Hedo ran break for Magic, and was good at it.). All 3 in crunch time.

We know Rudy and Roy are nice together. And Roy and Hedo can have side P/R with Roy on weakside. Roy and Hedo can also be the backcourt of a HUGE lineup. And all 3 in crunch time.

It's Blake whose minutes might suffer the most, I bet.

I'll update this post throughout the morning with the latest Hedo buzz. Please help the effort by dropping any links you find in the comments. Refresh regularly!

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Monty Williams to Interview for Timberwolves Head Coach?

Ben. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:32:45 -0000

A very interesting footnote in this post from AWoj over at Yahoo!...

Minnesota GM David Kahn plans to interview multiple candidates over the next month for his coaching vacancy, including a rising star on Nate McMillan's staff in Portland: Monty Williams.

Could this be Tom Penn all over again?

For the interview I did with Monty last year, click here.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Poll

SB Nation User Blog: Ben.

Reports: Hedo Changed His Mind, Likely to Become a Toronto Raptor

Breaking News: Portland And Hedo Have Reached An Agreement in Principle

Hedo Turkoglu is finally a Portland Trail Blazer.

Friday Hedo Watch

What's worse?

Artest to LA Lakers; Ariza to Rockets

What happened here?

Hedo At PDX

Is this a done deal?

Thursday Hedo Watch

Your preference?

The Latest on Hedo/Rudy

The Plot Thickens: Rudy Mad About Hedo?

Who do you want?

Marc Stein: Hedo Eating With Nate, Touring Portland

Monty Williams to Interview for Timberwolves Head Coach?

Would Monty Williams Take The Timberwolves Job?