NBA portland Trail Blazers

For awhile Friday, it sounded like Hedo Turkoglu was trying to become an NBA double dipper, playing for two different teams at the same time. Or like one of those traveling salesmen who quietly kept different wives in different cities.

And maybe he thought since the teams -- Portland and Toronto -- are in different countries, he might be able to slip by. You could just imagine that sly smile of his as he nodded yes to both teams.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. Either Turkoglu got cold feet or several news organizations got it wrong.

Update: Hedo may not be headed to Portland after all -- reports now suggest he ended negotiations abruptly and will sign with the Raptors.

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop is reporting that the Blazers have landed top free agent Hedo Turkoglu for the princely sum of $50 million (or more) over five years. Hedo had been the expected target of Portland's largess before the Magic acquired Vince Carter. That move made this move rather logical from every perspective.

... well, except the perspective that it's unclear exactly why Portland needs a ball-dominant small forward. After all, the Blazers do have one Brandon Roy, eternal All-Star, under contract. And with Roy dominating the ball this season, the Blazers finished with the league's finest offense. In terms of offense, this is a bit like the Lakers adding Ron Artest: sounds good on the surface, but when you look at the details, you get a bit worried.

Rumors have run wild that Orlando Magic free agent Hedo Turkoglu is the main target of the Portland Trail Blazers this free-agent season. The Blazers are in need of veteran leadership and help at the small forward position, but I'm not sure that Turkoglu is the answer.

Turkoglu was extremely effective with the Magic this postseason, but that doesn't mean he's the right piece for the Blazers. If I were the Blazers, I would target Lakers free-agent small forward Trevor Ariza.

Despite Marcin Gortat's best efforts, magical Hedo Turkoglu has taken the 2009 free agency period by the sensitive bits. Five teams reportedly called Hedo's agent Lon Babby on Wednesday morning, inquiring about or begging for the Turk's services. The Blazers top the list, having dispatched coach Nate McMillan for a Wednesday evening rendezvous in Orlando. But don't count out the Raptors(!), who will reportedly offer Hedo $60 million over five years.

But it ain't all rose petals and champagne amid the Hedo saga. According to ESPN's Chris Sheridan, the Portland courtship of Turkoglu has left one Mr. Rudy Fernandez feeling a bit ... hurt. Hurt to the point he is allegedly attempting to quit the Blazers.

Jason Quick of the The Oregonian reports Portland bosses Kevin Pritchard and Tom Penn made a play for Orlando free agent Hedo Turkoglu early Wednesday morning, just as Orlando's other major free agent -- Marcin Gortat -- was getting flowers from the Rockets. Two Western contenders pilfering the Kings of the East, how quaint.

Portland is one of two teams (outside of Orlando) that makes perfect sense for Turkoglu from all angles. While the Blazers have a nice collection of small forwards, none offer the ball-handling skill that a team with shooter Steve Blake at point guard requires. Further, though Brandon Roy has shown to be a good leader, there's a real lack of veteran guardianship on the roster. As they say, Hedo has been there, done that.

OK, sure, stacking Josh Howard, Jason Terry and former MVP Dirk Nowitzki around him was no more successful than surrounding him with Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson, but you know what they say: 18th time's the charm.

And it's in that spirit that Jason Kidd re-enters the NBA free agency market.

The deal that sent Shaquille O'Neal to the Cavaliers last week had been rumored since the trade deadline back in February, so it wasn't exactly a huge surprise. But had Shaq gone to another team -- like, say, the Portland Trail Blazers -- that would have been a pretty shocking development, mainly because we hadn't heard even a whisper of that being a possibility.

Apparently, though, the Blazers were indeed in talks with the Suns to bring O'Neal to Portland. This semi-bombshell comes from Shaq himself, who also says that the talks came to an end once he informed Steve Kerr he wasn't interested in being sent to the Blazers.

The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- Blake Griffin going No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, the fun happened, with Memphis taking Hasheem Thabeet and the Timberwolves' vexing decision to horde as many point guards as they could. A few other teams lucked out when players dropped down the board and into their laps. Check out the grades for the Western Conference after the jump.

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Let me never doubt Kevin Pritchard's slapping skills, but Portland really tossed a curve into their leapfrog gambit by selecting fairly underhyped Spanish forward Victor Claver with the No. 22 pick. Claver has made it clear he won't be in the NBA for at least one more year, perhaps two. And there had been talk his agent had been pushing to be made a second-round pick, where the rookie salary scale doesn't apply.

But the Blazers seem to know Western Europe pretty well, so I'll trust their judgment. Pitt stud DeJuan Blair and Israeli dynamo Omri Casspi were both there for the taking at with Portland's pick; Casspi went one pick later to Sacramento, who Portland leapfrogged a day earlier. Portland had given Dallas two second round picks to exchange the Blazers' No. 24 pick for the Mavericks' No. 22. Dallas ended up taking B.J. Mullens (another lottery projected player) with No. 24.

Just before the draft begins, DraftExpress has reported (with Sacramento Bee confirmation) Portland will send disappointing back-up point guard Sergio Rodriguez to Sacramento. In return, the teams will swap second round picks: Portland gets No. 31, Sacramento will pick No. 38.

If nothing else, the Kings come away with a Spanish point guard! (Right? Hello?) Portland adds about $1.6 million to its summer stockpile, in which the team is expected to chase a top flight point guard or small forward. The Kings desperately need depth at the point, even with three picks in tonight's draft. Sergio doesn't fit Nate McMillan's ball-control offense, but might (might!) soar under Paul Westphal.