James Jones To Portland

[Janett_Reno]

I read this and then i found out who i think the player will be.... It will be announced in July...

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Kevin Pritchard told the Portland media last night that the team has essentially completed another trade that can not be announced owing to league restrictions.

"I'm probably getting fined already," he says, in press conference audio on Oregonlive.

For Portland, Pritchard says the move will bring a small forward.

Pritchard's "cap expert," assistant GM Tom Penn, adds that "we have to formally complete the New York trade before we can finish another trade that we hope will happen." Penn estimates that will take a week to ten days for all this to be announced.

Later in the same press conference, someone asks about the teams's decision to draft Rudy Fernandez, and Pritchard says "that's part of the thing I'm not supposed to talk about, so I apologize for maybe letting it out a little bit."

I'm no expert on the collective bargaining agreement, but I'm guessing that this means something has to happen with Channing Frye (moving on?) or Steve Francis (being bought out?) before Rudy Fernandez can be shipped (with Frye, Pryzbilla, Jack, Koponen ... who knows?) somewhere for a small forward.


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All i can say is Portland is really trying and they are a darn good young team. They have really shook things up. I know James Jones is not real major but what does Phx have up their sleave in July? Are they going after Yi? They do not have a pg for Milwaukee or maybe some of these guys that Portland traded for, one is comming to Phx.

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Now, there was one other move you didn't hear about, and it won't be made official for about a week. The Blazers, in conjunction with the trade to New York, used a trade exception to purchase the Fernandez pick (which you did hear about) and will also acquire Phoenix's James Jones. Jones is a good outside shooter and was very solid with the Suns the past couple of seasons.