tlongII
10-15-2009, 09:57 AM
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/10/talks_with_aldridge_take_a_tur.html
With an Oct. 31 deadline nearing, general manager Kevin Pritchard said Wednesday the Trail Blazers and star forward LaMarcus Aldridge are "moving toward a deal" in which Aldridge would be a Blazer long term.
After negotiating since July 1, Pritchard said talks with Aldridge's agent, Arn Tellem, took a decided turn for the better this week.
"There has been movement," Pritchard said. "But I don't want to get the cart before the horse because I want to do this right. I want to make sure we are staying on the right path. But I feel like we are moving toward a deal. Now that doesn't mean we are going to get a deal done. Negotiations ebb and flow all the time, so I want to be cautious with that. But I'm optimistic, I really am."
Earlier in the day, at the team's shootaround, Aldridge also expressed optimism.
"Arn told me they have been talking every day, and there has been progress, that communication has picked up a lot," Aldridge said. "So that's a good thing that they are talking more. He said things were going better."
Details of the negotiations are unknown.
Aldridge, 24, is in the last year of his four-year rookie contract, and is eligible for a one- to five-year extension. If a deal isn't struck by midnight on Halloween, Aldridge would become a restricted free agent July 1. He could then field offers from other teams, but the Blazers would have the right to match any offer.
This summer, Blazers guard Brandon Roy was in the same situation, and he signed a four-year deal, with a player option for a fifth season. The deal was worth the maximum amount of money under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, which won't be determined until July.
In September, Pritchard said he and Aldridge's agent were having "amicable" but "complicated" talks because the two sides agreed on the value of Aldridge but were unable to put a finger on an amount because it was based on the league's salary cap, which isn't released until July.
It appeared both sides were strongly considering allowing the Oct. 31 deadline to pass, thereby letting Aldridge's play this season serve as a summer negotiating tool. But Pritchard said the constant communication with Tellem allowed the sides to draw closer. He said neither side has made a concession.
"It's getting a feel for what they are really looking for, and them understanding our position," Pritchard said. "And that doesn't happen in one conversation. Especially with these (negotiations) that are more complicated and bigger. So I feel like we really understand their position and they understand our position, so we are moving."
Aldridge is a 6-foot-11 power forward with speed, agility and shooting touch that is rare for a big man. He averaged a career-high 18.1 points last season to go with 7.5 rebounds. In the six-game playoff series against Houston, he averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds and 49 percent from the field.
On Wednesday night, Aldridge scored 20 points and had 7 rebounds, but the Blazers lost 110-104 to the Phoenix Suns in an exhibition game at Memorial Coliseum.
Drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2006, he has paired with Roy to lead the Blazers' resurgence from the cellar into one of the Western Conference's elite teams, all while exemplifying the team's emphasis on character and work ethic.
"We want to send a message of how important he is," Pritchard said. "We want to take care of the kid. I think that's the biggest thing. We like to take care of the people who take care of the organization, and LaMarcus has done that. He has done everything we have asked of him on the court and everything we have asked off the court."
At the start of the summer, Aldridge said he wanted to sign long term with the Blazers because he loved Portland and his teammates. He said the long negotiating period hasn't changed that.
"I want to be here, I love being here, and I think they want me here, too," Aldridge said. "I have faith that everything will work itself out."
With an Oct. 31 deadline nearing, general manager Kevin Pritchard said Wednesday the Trail Blazers and star forward LaMarcus Aldridge are "moving toward a deal" in which Aldridge would be a Blazer long term.
After negotiating since July 1, Pritchard said talks with Aldridge's agent, Arn Tellem, took a decided turn for the better this week.
"There has been movement," Pritchard said. "But I don't want to get the cart before the horse because I want to do this right. I want to make sure we are staying on the right path. But I feel like we are moving toward a deal. Now that doesn't mean we are going to get a deal done. Negotiations ebb and flow all the time, so I want to be cautious with that. But I'm optimistic, I really am."
Earlier in the day, at the team's shootaround, Aldridge also expressed optimism.
"Arn told me they have been talking every day, and there has been progress, that communication has picked up a lot," Aldridge said. "So that's a good thing that they are talking more. He said things were going better."
Details of the negotiations are unknown.
Aldridge, 24, is in the last year of his four-year rookie contract, and is eligible for a one- to five-year extension. If a deal isn't struck by midnight on Halloween, Aldridge would become a restricted free agent July 1. He could then field offers from other teams, but the Blazers would have the right to match any offer.
This summer, Blazers guard Brandon Roy was in the same situation, and he signed a four-year deal, with a player option for a fifth season. The deal was worth the maximum amount of money under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, which won't be determined until July.
In September, Pritchard said he and Aldridge's agent were having "amicable" but "complicated" talks because the two sides agreed on the value of Aldridge but were unable to put a finger on an amount because it was based on the league's salary cap, which isn't released until July.
It appeared both sides were strongly considering allowing the Oct. 31 deadline to pass, thereby letting Aldridge's play this season serve as a summer negotiating tool. But Pritchard said the constant communication with Tellem allowed the sides to draw closer. He said neither side has made a concession.
"It's getting a feel for what they are really looking for, and them understanding our position," Pritchard said. "And that doesn't happen in one conversation. Especially with these (negotiations) that are more complicated and bigger. So I feel like we really understand their position and they understand our position, so we are moving."
Aldridge is a 6-foot-11 power forward with speed, agility and shooting touch that is rare for a big man. He averaged a career-high 18.1 points last season to go with 7.5 rebounds. In the six-game playoff series against Houston, he averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds and 49 percent from the field.
On Wednesday night, Aldridge scored 20 points and had 7 rebounds, but the Blazers lost 110-104 to the Phoenix Suns in an exhibition game at Memorial Coliseum.
Drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2006, he has paired with Roy to lead the Blazers' resurgence from the cellar into one of the Western Conference's elite teams, all while exemplifying the team's emphasis on character and work ethic.
"We want to send a message of how important he is," Pritchard said. "We want to take care of the kid. I think that's the biggest thing. We like to take care of the people who take care of the organization, and LaMarcus has done that. He has done everything we have asked of him on the court and everything we have asked off the court."
At the start of the summer, Aldridge said he wanted to sign long term with the Blazers because he loved Portland and his teammates. He said the long negotiating period hasn't changed that.
"I want to be here, I love being here, and I think they want me here, too," Aldridge said. "I have faith that everything will work itself out."