Patterson could be bought out, No Eddy/Roob trade

[Kings113]

Rocky Mountain News - George Karl does not foresee Denver trading Eduardo Najera to Portland for troubled swingman Ruben Patterson. TNT reported Thursday the Nuggets have discussed such a deal with the Trail Blazers.

"I don't think it will happen," Karl said. "It might be a de-energizer. Right now, we've got to stay strong and figure it out. I love Ruben as a basketball player. But, if he doesn't get minutes, he doesn't get the opportunity, I'm not sure (where he might). We need a bigger body."

The Trail Blazers sent Patterson home for the final six games of an ongoing seven-game trip after he cursed at coach Nate McMillan during a game Sunday at New York regarding lack of playing time. Patterson is averaging 7.0 points in 19.3 minutes.

If the Trail Blazers can't trade him, there is talk they might buy out his contract. He is making $6.4 million this season and $6.8 million next season in the final year of a six-year, $34 million deal. It remains to be seen whether the Nuggets might have interest then.

"That's something I can't control," Najera said of his name being linked to a report about a possible trade. "I don't even want to think about it. It makes you worry if you think about it."

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/38084/20051126/no_patterson/najera_trade_imminent/

Don't know where that trade came from or why it was brought up, plus Najera's been so good there. Nuggets are loaded with swingmen as it is. Including their versatile talented #1 pick Julius Hodge barely playing (the sexual assault accusation was basically a non-issue, and turned out to be false as expected).

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Patterson and Jack for Thomas and Hart? Checks out on RealGM...

 

[Kings113]

Patterson and Jack for Thomas and Hart? Checks out on RealGM...

Sounds good, but that leaves us with no back-up PF. Portland not having any, and would have to sign one off of free-agency.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Skinner's a power forward...

 

[Kings113]

Skinner's a power forward...

Can't score much at all though, and is our back-up center. Might as well make Jamal our back-up PF (who can play that).

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Scoring is overrated. Besides which, barring a catastrophe or a blowout, it's unlikely that Miller and Abdur-Rahim will both be sitting down, anyway.

 

[Kings113]

With the bench and how Rick's using it though, I don't know.

 

[VF21]

Patterson and Jack for Thomas and Hart? Checks out on RealGM...

There is virtually nothing that could make me stop being a Kings fan...

Seeing Patterson in a Kings uniform might just change that.

 

[SacTownKid]

Ruben does have a pretty nasty criminal record.

 

[BMiller52]

Ruben does have a pretty nasty criminal record.

Agreed. I hope that he doesn't come to sacramento. I want him out of portland though, maybe a miles+patterson for that guy Odom?

 

[4cwebb]

Agreed. I hope that he doesn't come to sacramento. I want him out of portland though, maybe a miles+patterson for that guy Odom?

Hmm...don't know which situation fits the Lakers better. Odom, imho, currently doesn't fit that well with the Lakers. Would Darius survive and thrive at the 3 alongside Kobe?

Not to mention the fact that Phil jettisoned Patterson at one point b/c he was roughing up young Kobe in practice. While Kobe can certainly take care of himself, I'd find it surprising that Phil and Patterson could coexist. And it would, of course, just lead to more drama from the Lakers, which is the only way they're getting any headlines at this point.

 

[KingKong]

I would love to see Roob on the Kings, despite his past. He would be the much needed spark off the bench that we are lacking along with defense and hustle. And after all he is the only "Kobe stopper in the league". But in all seriuosness he would be a great 6th man off the bench.

 

[KingKong]

Patterson and Jack for Thomas and Hart? Checks out on RealGM...

Not too high on giving up Thomas for Roob, but if we could have Corliss and Hart in the mix.... I would do it in a heartbeat. Patterson guy is all hustle and defense.

 

[Bricklayer]

Not too high on giving up Thomas for Roob, but if we could have Corliss and Hart in the mix.... I would do it in a heartbeat. Patterson guy is all hustle and defense.

He's about other stuff as well.

Not even remotely worth the trouble he brings with him, and you're tempting fate adding him to Bonzi. If you're going to risk the lockerroom explosion, at least risk it for an Artest, not a bench player with another bad contract.

 

[KingKong]

He's about other stuff as well.

Not even remotely worth the trouble he brings with him, and you're tempting fate adding him to Bonzi. If you're going to risk the lockerroom explosion, at least risk it for an Artest, not a bench player with another bad contract.

I agree that we should not tempt fate, but the same thing was thought of Bonzi before arriving here and in my eyes he's done a 180 degree turn... this is not to say Bonzi won't revert back to his old ways, but winning makes all the difference (not that we're winning much the moment, but we will.) Morever, isn't Sactown the land of redemption or is Patterson beyond that? Not sure what Patterson's contract status is, but trading Corliss who also also has an awful contract and is not getting PT makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[Bricklayer]

I agree that we should not tempt fate, but the same thing was thought of Bonzi before arriving here and in my eyes he's done a 180 degree turn... this is not to say Bonzi won't revert back to his old ways, but winning makes all the difference (not that we're winning much the moment, but we will.) Morever, isn't Sactown the land of redemption or is Patterson beyond that? Not sure what Patterson's contract status is, but trading Corliss who also also has an awful contract and is not getting PT makes a lot of sense to me.

Bonzi has twice the talent Patterson has. And whereas Bonzi shows up to town alone and looking for redemption, now you add Patterson while subtracting the classy Corliss, and you are beginning to dangerously tilt the lockerroom. Probelm personalities can feed off each other and really spiral, especially in a leadership vaccum. No Vlade or Webb, or Doug around anymore to control and pacify. Ruben is just not worth that. He's an aggressive and virulent cancer, and let's not even get to his personal life. Its a whole pile of real ick. We've just got enough problems without that, and IMO don't need to be adding to them for a backup SF.

Patterson is earning $6mil a year BTW, this year and next.

 

[Kings113]

I would love to see Roob on the Kings, despite his past. He would be the much needed spark off the bench that we are lacking along with defense and hustle. And after all he is the only "Kobe stopper in the league". But in all seriuosness he would be a great 6th man off the bench.

Agreed with that.

 

[Kings113]

Well, Patterson probably isn't going anywhere with these ridiculous comments:

Oregonian - Ruben Patterson on Tuesday said that he is prepared to spend the rest of the season on the inactive list unless the Trail Blazers find a way to play him 25 minutes a game.

Patterson, who was suspended last week for two games, then placed on the inactive list for complaining about his playing time, is scheduled to meet in Portland with Blazers general manager John Nash and coach Nate McMillan either Thursday or Friday.

Nash and McMillan on Tuesday said the meeting will be to determine whether Patterson can accept a reserve role in which he plays limited minutes behind Darius Miles and Zach Randolph. Patterson averaged 19.3 minutes in the first eight games this season -- down from the 28 minutes he averaged last season -- which included an average of 16.3 minutes in his past three games.

Nash said if Patterson can accept the role that McMillan envisions, he will be reinstated to the active list. But Patterson on Tuesday said he is not willing to continue to get fill-in minutes while the team continues its youth movement.

"I don't think my role of playing 13 or 15 minutes a game is acceptable," Patterson said from his home in Columbus, Ohio. "I deserve to play 25-plus minutes, but if they want me to play 12 minutes (like he did in his last game against New York), then they can just put me on the inactive list. I mean, those are rookie minutes."

McMillan said he can't foresee Patterson getting 25 minutes a game.

"I think those are starter minutes," McMillan said. "I don't know how you can give someone off the bench 25 minutes. I mean, he's at a position that Miles (38.5 minutes a game) and Zach (37.8 minutes) are playing."

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_a..._stay_inactive_unless_he_gets_25_minutes_per/

I like Patterson as a player, but I agree with Nate here. Denver/Houston are the only places I can think of where he could get near those minutes.