Boo hoo: Blazers' Fernandez 'homesick', wants to leave Blazers/NBA

[CubanMustGo]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Atmv8kbNXeAXetrXKSvfmSO8vLYF?slug=ys-fernandezeurope081810

Portland Trail Blazers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/por/) guard Rudy Fernandez (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4302/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4302/news) wants to return to Europe and no longer has interest in being traded to another NBA team, his agent said Wednesday.


Fernandez has been unhappy with his limited role with the Blazers and had his agent Andy Miller request a trade from the franchise three months ago. Miller said about 15 teams have expressed interest in the Spanish guard, most notably the Boston Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/bos/) and Chicago Bulls (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/chi/), but talks have slowed because the Blazers have asked for too much in return.



Now, Miller said Fernandez is “homesick” and no longer has any interest in playing in the NBA.


“He has indicated he would like to return to Europe to continue his basketball career,” Miller told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday. “He is more comfortable in Europe. He’d rather be in Europe than the NBA. He understands the circumstances in which he wouldn’t be coming back. I don’t see any scenario in which he’d want to be back.”


Fernandez can’t play in Europe until his contract ends or the Blazers free him from it. He is scheduled to make $1.2 million this season and the Blazers have a $2.2 million option for the 2011-12 season.


Miller said Fernandez is seeking an “amicable divorce” from the Blazers, but he also told The Oregonian – which first reported the story – that Fernandez is prepared to sit out the season and face a possible suspension.
Blazers general manager Rich Cho told Yahoo! Sports that at this time he has no plans of releasing Fernandez from his contract.


“I’ve spoken to Rudy’s agent and I’m aware of his feelings,” Cho said. “At the end of the day we’ll make the best decision for the organization.”
When asked if there’s any trade scenario Fernandez would consider, Miller said: “I honestly don’t believe so – no, I certainly don’t think so.”


After starring in Spain, Fernandez took a pay cut to play in the NBA when he arrived two seasons ago. He averaged 10.4 points in 25.6 minutes per game as a rookie and quickly became a fan favorite. Fernandez played in only 62 games last season because of back problems that required surgery. He averaged 8.1 points.


Miller said Fernandez initially wanted a trade because the presence of All-Star guard Brandon Roy (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4134/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4134/news) and a roster full of swingmen limited his role.

[elbamba]

Portland overvalues their talent. You would think that a team that has yet to get out of the first round would come back to reality and realize that they are a team of role players + Roy.

[cheguevara]

and Roy is overrated he is just another TMac, will never take his team past 1st round by himself

[Mark in Austin]

and Roy is overrated he is just another TMac, will never take his team past 1st round by himself


Roy's need to dominate the ball to be effective would certainly be alarming to me if I was a Blazer fan.

[MI21]

Non-issue.

[thispego]

and Roy is overrated he is just another TMac, will never take his team past 1st round by himself

[rjv]

i knew this guy was never anything closed to manu , despite the comparisons. ciao, rudy

[CubanMustGo]

update: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5477272

Rudy Fernandez ignoring Trail Blazers


By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
Archive (http://search.espn.go.com/chris-sheridan/)

MADRID, Spain -- Rudy Fernandez (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3204) is not returning calls from Portland Trail Blazers (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=por) coach Nate McMillan, and the NBA on Thursday was investigating whether Fernandez or his agent violated league rules by threatening a holdout.

With Team USA set to play Fernandez and the Spanish national team Sunday night, the latest developments regarding the disgruntled Fernandez and the trade speculation surrounding Carmelo Anthony added two more subplots to an NBA offseason that refuses to take a holiday.

I've tried to contact Rudy, and he hasn't returned calls [since the season ended]," McMillan told ESPN.com. "So we'll just have to see what happens. We're looking to improve our team at all times, but I don't know what's going to happen." Fernandez's agent, Andy Miller, told several news outlets that Fernandez will not report to training camp and is willing to sit out the next two seasons if the Blazers refuse to trade his client.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league was investigating Miller's and Fernandez's comments and whether they violated league rules that prohibit players from publicly requesting a trade.

Stephen Jackson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=378) and Nate Robinson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2782) were fined last season for violating that rule, although both eventually got their wish -- Jackson was traded from Golden State to Charlotte, and Robinson moved from the Knicks to the Celtics.

Thus far, new Portland general manager Rich Cho has declined every trade offer that has been presented.

A league source told ESPN.com that in late June, several teams with draft picks in the teens offered to send their pick to Portland for Fernandez, but the Blazers -- who were being run by then-general manager Kevin Pritchard -- declined.

The Celtics and Bulls have since offered their No. 1 picks in 2011, the source said, and the Knicks have offered shooting guard Wilson Chandler. But with more than a month remaining until the start of NBA training camps, Cho is waiting to see what else becomes available.

Fernandez grew disgruntled as his role diminished in his second NBA season, and he told several Spanish news organizations earlier this summer that he wants to be traded or released from his contract so he can return to Spain to play professionally.

"That has been pretty much their position all summer, and Rich Cho is working on that. We know that situation and we've got to fix it," McMillan said. "The thing is, we're going to look at what's going to be best for the organization. Rudy is a very good player, a talented player that we like, and you just don't let a player like that go in a situation like this. He's keeping his ears open to what teams are saying, but that's not something we feel we're going to be forced into doing."

Miller told The Oregonian that Fernandez has grown so frustrated by the impasse that he no longer wants to play in the NBA.

"All I can do now is stand on the rooftop and scream, 'He's not coming!' He's just not coming back. I've made that clear," Miller said. "I would like to have an amicable divorce."

Fernandez underwent back surgery in December and had a reduced role playing behind Brandon Roy (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3027), averaging 8.1 points in 23.2 minutes after averaging 10.4 points and 25.5 minutes while setting an NBA rookie record with 159 3-pointers in 2008-09.

"Last year, bringing in Andre Miller (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=557) and having Steve Blake (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1994), we were starting with four guards. And he's playing behind an All-Star in Brandon Roy, and he's a 2 [shooting guard], and neither one of those guys is a 3 [small forward]. So the minutes were cut simply because we had a four-guard rotation," McMillan said.

"I think in all team sports you have situations where people want more, and yet you have to make sacrifices. For us, last year we had a very deep team where we could play 10 guys if we were healthy, and not only was [Fernandez] feeling that way, Jarryd Bayless was feeling that way, and Martell Webster (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2795) was feeling that way," McMillan said.

McMillan also said he was "not offended" by Fernandez's comments that he disliked McMillan's offensive system, which relegated him to being more of a spot-up shooter than a playmaker.

The Blazers acquired Fernandez on draft night in 2008, sending $3 million to Phoenix for the 24th overall pick.

[tlongII]

Rudy can kiss my ass.

[DPG21920]

Very lame from a talented player.

[tomtom]

What a whiny bitch

[Red Hawk #21]

Rudy definitely blew things out of proportion. Blazers should get rid of him though, since it's clear he doesn't want to be a part of their team anymore.

[Dex]

:cry

[lil_penny]

What a whiny bitch

[Ginobilly]

Blazers weren't going to win shit either way, so in the long run it doesn't really matter. Fernandez is the only exiting player to watch on the Blazers(Roy and Dre are ball hogs) and I hope he goes to another team that showcases more of his play making abilities.

[DMX7]

People who get homesick are little bitches. Go back to mommy!

[DaDakota]

Good for him, he should do whatever it takes to get himself to a better situation.

The same thing happened to Drazen Petrovic, sometimes a player has to stand up for his career.

It is only so long that you can play, and if you are wasting away behind a good player like Roy, sometimes you have to take drastic actions to get out of there.

It is no different than any other NBA player trying to get themselves into a better situation.

Portland needs to trade him, they aren't going to use him...they have a habit of stockpiling good players and then letting them go....Drazen Petrovic, Jermaine O'neal and now Rudy.

Good luck Rudy, you do whatever it takes !

DD

[pauls931]

Roy's need to dominate the ball to be effective would certainly be alarming to me if I was a Blazer fan.

So you're calling him..... A..... Chucker?

YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!