Greg Oden?

[Rockmeister]

Marc J. Spears @SpearsNBAYahoo 3 minutes ago

Free agent center Greg Oden to make decision next week picking from Sacramento, Miami, ATL, NO, San Antonio & Dallas, source told Y! Sports.

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter/media.html#ixzz2ZuC6XUC6

 

[The_Jamal]

But over their brief careers, Oden has put together much more valuable minutes than Aldrich. If (and it is an "if") Oden can be the player he was before for 10 minutes a game, I'd far rather have him give me 10 bench minutes at $2-3M/year than have Aldrich give me the same 10 minutes at $1M/year. It's entirely possible that Oden can't fully recover and that he and Aldrich are interchangeable players at this point, but historically that's not the case. That's why the workout coming up is pretty important. If he looks done, let somebody else take that risk. If he looks to be on his way back, then he's worth the risk even if he'll never be more than a 10-15 minute/game player.

Yep. If (obviously a huge if) Oden stays on the floor, he's the best back-up C in the league. If he comes back 50% of his old talent level, he's still the best back-up C in the league.

And there's the very slim chance 2% that he can become a starter again and play 25+ MPG. In which case, you just stole an elite level C for nothing. Guys like Aldrich are a dime a dozen, you can go find 15 of him looking for work right now. Oden brings that boom factor, which is why so many teams are interested in him.

At any rate, If you're careful with Oden, I think you can keep him on the floor. No more than 10-15 MPG total. Never more than 5 minute spans at a time.Give him days off throughout the season, so he never has too much stress on his body.

These are the kind of moves that winning teams make. Glad to see our FO getting involved with him

 

[bajaden]

I think this is accurate. If he would sign in Sac for 2 million though why the heck not.

And he'd have some really strict rules about playing time and managing back to back nights (like not ever). Baseball fans remember the Joba rules?

What you stated may end up being the deciding factor for him. He, or his agent stated that mostly their looking for the best fit for him, where he can be brought along slowly. I don't think the Heat is the right place for that. To be honest, the Kings might be the best fit. We really don't need him to come in and start. for that matter, we really don't need him at all. But if he can come close to what he once was, then he'd be a terrific addition. He could back up Cousins, and we'd be in a position to just start him with 5 minutes a game and go from there. If the knee flares up, you sit him until it cools down again. New Orleans doesn't have a legit center on the team right now, so the odd's of him playing more minutes than he should are far greater there.

Money wise, I think all we have to offer is the mini exception of around 2.5 mil a year. Unless of course we make a creative trade to free up space.

Edit: Just for the record, history tells us that the younger you are, the better the chance of his type of surgery will be effective. I believe Doug Christie had that surgery either in college, or shortly thereafter, and in his case, he went on to have a very nice career. Of course, there is a difference between a 7 foot, 280 pound center, and a 6'6" 200 pound guard. Webber had the microfracture surgery, and in his case, it was only partly successful. But then he was older.

 

[Mojo]

Looks like Oden met with Erik Spoelstra today. Sheridan says that he wants to play for a contender so that narrows it down to Miami and the Spurs I guess.

New Orleans doesn't have a legit center on the team right now

They did sign Greg Stiemsma but beyond that they are pretty thin.

 

[lwc]

Any news on how his workout went?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

What you stated may end up being the deciding factor for him. He, or his agent stated that mostly their looking for the best fit for him, where he can be brought along slowly. I don't think the Heat is the right place for that.

Curious why not? They are coming off two championships and have the big 3 for at least one more season. They can give him spot minutes and he may even get a ring out of it?

It certainly wouldn't be meaningful time and probably wouldn't help him land a permanent role somewhere else if available but it seems like it might do the trick?

One concern I'd have would be with Sacramento's training staff - granted new ownership - but we don't exactly have the best track record with rehab projects do we?

 

[AaronPDX]

You would think this, but the guy seemed quite genuinely bothered by the fact that Portland was paying him millions to sit around and not play.

While he did a dumb thing texting a photo of his naughty bits to someone, I don't recall him getting into any real trouble while he was here and it is possible that he spent/invested his money wisely and is more concerned with rehabbing his image as one of the all time busts than filling up his pockets. He probably made what 15 million + and then endorsements in his 4 years in Portland?

Oden's Career Earnings in Portland are $23,295,444. If he has a money manager worth a nickel, his grandchildren will be very well off. One can only guess his current motivation, more money or proving he wasn't a bust. He'd have an ideal situation to play in Sac behind Cousins rather than as a starter somewhere else or in a situation where he'll play too many minutes . Who knows.

 

[Bricklayer]

Oden's Career Earnings in Portland are $23,295,444. If he has a money manager worth a nickel, his grandchildren will be very well off.

So few of these kids do though. Especially the ones coming in expected to be stars, so they are definitely thinking the money train will be running for a long time. Meanwhile every two bit idiot and long lost relative in their life is showing up looking for handouts.

 

[VF21]

grant hill was certainly a medical success story, considering the persistent ankle problem he had to deal with, on top of other nagging injuries, but the fact remains that he's a perimeter player. i'd be much, much more leery of a seven-footer who had major surgery on both of his knees by the age of 21. greg oden's a low-block guy, meant to anchor a defense, and will take serious punishment in the paint as a result. can his body handle it? the chances of oden successfully returning to the game of basketball are not exactly in the same league as grant hill's success story in returning to the game of basketball...

again, i agree that there's not much risk in a cheap, short-term, heavily-insured contract, but i'm also not sure what the point is. it'd be one thing if greg oden had been among the best young centers in the league prior to scrubbing out. unfortunately, he wasn't. he showed a few flashes of potential greatness before his second knee injury. in limited minutes, and across a small sample size of 21 games in 2009, he was rebounding well, and he was starting to establish a defensive presence down low, while hitting a high percentage of shots at the rim. but he wasn't dominant. "potential" was still the operative word...

and now that his body has failed him, i don't really understand what a team would expect of him heading into the '13-'14, three-and-a-half years since he last played in an nba game. he was a developing player before three micro-fracture surgeries doomed his career. he wouldn't be returning to the game as an established talent. even on a cheap contract, he's a major rehabilitation project, and there are other young tall guys out there with defensive potential that you can "take a flier on" who don't also run the risk of collapsing in a heap during their first minutes of nba action...

everybody wants to hope that greg oden can still play in the nba, because he seems like a nice guy, and it's just terrible luck that he hasn't been able to stay on the court. but personally, i think he's a lost cause in a contemporary nba that moves really fast. unless a team intends to sign him for garbage minutes and/or developmental league action, i don't expect he'll stick anywhere...

That one phrase is what concerns me the most.

 

[Gary]

Looks like Oden met with Erik Spoelstra today. Sheridan says that he wants to play for a contender so that narrows it down to Miami and the Spurs I guess.



They did sign Greg Stiemsma but beyond that they are pretty thin.

Well that's dumb.. I don't think he should really get to say that because he's really done nothing in his career and now he's wanting to play with contenders?

 

[Entity]

Well that's dumb.. I don't think he should really get to say that because he's really done nothing in his career and now he's wanting to play with contenders?

yeah I'm getting awfully sick of the coattail riding going on in the NBA

 

[Bricklayer]

yeah I'm getting awfully sick of the coattail riding going on in the NBA

It makes tactical sense for him. Limited pressure to carry anybody. Lots of exposure if it does work out. And if you don't know when your knees might explode, it checks off winning off the list of things to do in your career, almost no matter how you personally play. Meanwhile if they do win, you get to bask in some of the reflected glory and it makes you more attractive if you hit the market again.

 

[HndsmCelt]

yeah I'm getting awfully sick of the coattail riding going on in the NBA

In this case it is a sound call. If you look at Birdman last season, his stint with the Heat did more than win a ring, he rehabbed his rep, and showcased his skills. Since Miami resigned Anderson, I think Oden will be better served in SA but either way IF he can play every one will know it.

 

[SacKings384]

It makes total sense for Oden to go to a contender. It makes even more sense for him to go to Miami. He can easily start in Miami, where he would probably be behind Splitter who just got a big contract. He can go to Miami, get a ton of easy looks, and they won't ask much of him. The pressure will be off because the spotlight is on LeBron. They can play him sparingly while he gets back in game shape. No question that Miami is the best spot for him.

 

[bajaden]

It makes tactical sense for him. Limited pressure to carry anybody. Lots of exposure if it does work out. And if you don't know when your knees might explode, it checks off winning off the list of things to do in your career, almost no matter how you personally play. Meanwhile if they do win, you get to bask in some of the reflected glory and it makes you more attractive if you hit the market again.

I wonder how Mitch Richmond feels today about basking in the glory? Hey, if the Heat will sign me, I could use a little glory basking! I come cheap!

 

[roasthawg]

I'm rooting against this signing.... I've suffered from knee issues stemming from a basketball injury when I was 21. Unfortunately my personal experience has led me to the conclusion that there is still no readily available cure for arthritic knees. Oden has trouble knees similar to Roy... until science advances a bit more players like Greg just won't be able to last an nba season.

 

[pshn80]

It makes tactical sense for him. Limited pressure to carry anybody. Lots of exposure if it does work out. And if you don't know when your knees might explode, it checks off winning off the list of things to do in your career, almost no matter how you personally play. Meanwhile if they do win, you get to bask in some of the reflected glory and it makes you more attractive if you hit the market again.

You paint an interesting picture. How about the opposite experience? Like the Kings. Paint another good picture which I think is one reasonable outcome.

 

[apollo916]

There are multiple ways this can play out. One is, he will go to any of the accepting teams and if healthy for a long period of time he will start because he is just that kind of force, and maybe, have a decent career.
So when it comes to that aspect Miami is his best choice, San Antonio would be number 2.
I take it as if he is attempting to make a comeback then he is showcasing that he is healthy and is expecting to play long enough to win.

Scenario 2 is that he wants to make a quick dollar and got cleared by some doctors and is giving it one last hoorah to make life a little bit easier financially. Meaning he will go to the highest bidding team.

The questions is if his heart is in it, he will go to Miami or San Antonio. Otherwise, there is no telling who will be able to give the most money. (trades, amnesty, waivers)

 

[Kingster]

I'm pretty dubious about what one workout is going to tell you on Oden. I'd rather see him after the tenth workout in a two week period. Maybe then you'd have a better idea of how the knees are going to respond to stress over time.

 

[apollo916]

I'm pretty dubious about what one workout is going to tell you on Oden. I'd rather see him after the tenth workout in a two week period. Maybe then you'd have a better idea of how the knees are going to respond to stress over time.

I completly agree but this is what makes or breaks gm's are decisions like this. This league is all about chance, if Oden works out, that GM is a genious, if not, well you know the rest.

 

[Jkbiker]

Should Oden reach a deal with Miami, the spotlight on him will be hotter than with any of the other five. He’ll risk being seen as something of a front-runner, as he would to a lesser extent with the Spurs.

Any of the teams lower in the pecking order — the Pelicans, Kings, or Hawks — could offer more modest expectations. And if Oden were to stay healthy and help one of them, he might find himself with more supporters nationally and globally than he would by jumping aboard the Miami or San Antonio bandwagons.

“We’ve looked at all the scenarios,” Duffy said Friday. “There might be less pressure if he tries this with a team that’s rebuilding. Then again, the quality of the medical staff will matter. Maybe a winning team has chemistry that’s good or his role would be clearly defined.”

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....g-team/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Come on Greg no pressure here!!

 

[Fear the Putin]

Yea, if he really believes that his knees are healthy and can last, he will go to a rebuilding team. Rebuild his image. If he doesn't, he will chase the rings as fast as possible.

 

[Prince_XY]

Come on Greg no pressure here!!

Yeah.

And we are desperate to get you the way the Sixers were desperate to get Bynum to play for their team.

By the way, whatever happened to the Sixer's gamble on Bynum?

 

[LPKingsFan]

Yeah.

And we are desperate to get you the way the Sixers were desperate to get Bynum to play for their team.

By the way, whatever happened to the Sixer's gamble on Bynum?

Because trading some of your top talent for a guy on a $17 million deal is the same as signing someone as a free agent for $2-3 million?

 

[steelevt]

Should Oden reach a deal with Miami, the spotlight on him will be hotter than with any of the other five. He’ll risk being seen as something of a front-runner, as he would to a lesser extent with the Spurs.

Any of the teams lower in the pecking order — the Pelicans, Kings, or Hawks — could offer more modest expectations. And if Oden were to stay healthy and help one of them, he might find himself with more supporters nationally and globally than he would by jumping aboard the Miami or San Antonio bandwagons.

“We’ve looked at all the scenarios,” Duffy said Friday. “There might be less pressure if he tries this with a team that’s rebuilding. Then again, the quality of the medical staff will matter. Maybe a winning team has chemistry that’s good or his role would be clearly defined.”

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....g-team/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Come on Greg no pressure here!!

This part stuck out to me. How good is our medical team. I haven't really heard anything positive but don't know if the new ownership changed our medical/traing staff. Only really good thing I've ever heard about a teams medical staff is the suns.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Because trading some of your top talent for a guy on a $17 million deal is the same as signing someone as a free agent for $2-3 million?

In fact, it's not even close. It's so far from close that I think it's a good idea to actually LOOK at that Sixers trade.

The Sixers traded away: Andre Iguodala, Nicola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, and a protected first round pick.
The Sixers got: The right to pay Andrew Bynum $17M to play 0 games, and the right to pay Jason Richardson $18.5M for his age 32-34 seasons. Richardson, by the way, played 10 mpg in a total of 33 games in the first of those three seasons.

That is seriously under consideration for the absolute worst NBA trade of all time. The Sixers traded a pick, a star player, and two young kids with a lot of potential, and got in return $35.5M of salary for players who are either useless, or never played.

Literally, we could pay Greg Oden $35M to never play a game for us (if we had the cap space) and it wouldn't be as bad because we didn't trade away four assets to do it. But at best we can offer something in the $2-3M range and give him a couple of years without rearranging the roster. Not saying he's going to accept an offer like that, but if he does, the worst-case scenario for an Oden signing has to crawl on its hands and knees and dares not lift its eyes off the ground when it grovels its way into the throne room of the Andrew Bynum trade.

 

[LPKingsFan]

In fact, it's not even close. It's so far from close that I think it's a good idea to actually LOOK at that Sixers trade.

The Sixers traded away: Andre Iguodala, Nicola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, and a protected first round pick.
The Sixers got: The right to pay Andrew Bynum $17M to play 0 games, and the right to pay Jason Richardson $18.5M for his age 32-34 seasons. Richardson, by the way, played 10 mpg in a total of 33 games in the first of those three seasons.

That is seriously under consideration for the absolute worst NBA trade of all time. The Sixers traded a pick, a star player, and two young kids with a lot of potential, and got in return $35.5M of salary for players who are either useless, or never played.

Literally, we could pay Greg Oden $35M to never play a game for us (if we had the cap space) and it wouldn't be as bad because we didn't trade away four assets to do it. But at best we can offer something in the $2-3M range and give him a couple of years without rearranging the roster. Not saying he's going to accept an offer like that, but if he does, the worst-case scenario for an Oden signing has to crawl on its hands and knees and dares not lift its eyes off the ground when it grovels its way into the throne room of the Andrew Bynum trade.

No kidding. And interesting to think that at the time, Orlando was widely considered to have "lost." A year later, Afflalo, Vucevic, Harkless and a couple firsts is clearly superior than what the other teams have left.

 

[bajaden]

In fact, it's not even close. It's so far from close that I think it's a good idea to actually LOOK at that Sixers trade.

The Sixers traded away: Andre Iguodala, Nicola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, and a protected first round pick.
The Sixers got: The right to pay Andrew Bynum $17M to play 0 games, and the right to pay Jason Richardson $18.5M for his age 32-34 seasons. Richardson, by the way, played 10 mpg in a total of 33 games in the first of those three seasons.

That is seriously under consideration for the absolute worst NBA trade of all time. The Sixers traded a pick, a star player, and two young kids with a lot of potential, and got in return $35.5M of salary for players who are either useless, or never played.

Literally, we could pay Greg Oden $35M to never play a game for us (if we had the cap space) and it wouldn't be as bad because we didn't trade away four assets to do it. But at best we can offer something in the $2-3M range and give him a couple of years without rearranging the roster. Not saying he's going to accept an offer like that, but if he does, the worst-case scenario for an Oden signing has to crawl on its hands and knees and dares not lift its eyes off the ground when it grovels its way into the throne room of the Andrew Bynum trade.

I'll tell you, if its not the worse trade of all time, its certainly in the running. Bad time to be a Philly fan!

 

[CruzDude]

Oden will be the mystery man of the decade if not all time. High risk but potential high reward, maybe. He can likely best be served in a small market team without a big media hoard to blow his effort out of proportion. Backing up Cuz should be gold for him. He could start slow and gradual to see what he has in the tank and in his knees. But until he decides all remaining bigs, few that they are, are on hold. Specifically, Aldrich. Seems inputs are Oden will decide early this coming week. Then the final movement of big backups can finish and we can get down to serious TDOS for another 63 days.

 

[VF21]

This part stuck out to me. How good is our medical team. I haven't really heard anything positive but don't know if the new ownership changed our medical/traing staff. Only really good thing I've ever heard about a teams medical staff is the suns.

The part you quoted stuck out to me, too, but in a slightly different way. If Oden's agent is most concerned about the quality the medical staff, then I have to wonder just how good those knees truly are. I've had my heart broken because of one knee before and now we'd be banking on two?