“Hedo’s wife had a ton to do with the decision,” the source told me. “And I haven’t heard Lee’s name in any talks since the trade deadline.”

As we reported back then, the Blazers did feel that adding Lee would add depth to their frontcourt with the question mark that was and still is Greg Oden. But the organization still has full faith that the former number one overall pick will be a franchise big.

The focus is now fully on adding Andre Miller and if they fail in that direction the team may try to make a move for Lee. The team chose to move in Hedo’s direction, so let’s see if they can reconnect with Miller.

But as for now, any discussions haven’t reached anything more than initial conversations and as we’ve told you repeatedly, if the Blazers don’t move more salary, it will be tough for them to bring in a much-needed and high priority PG along with another free agent.

I am not sure what either the Lakers or Magic would offer for Nate. The Lakers have Vujacic.  They also have Jordan Farmar, who can be very interesting for the Knicks, especially if they get Jason Kidd. If the Lakers lose Lamar Odom, then perhaps the Lakers would love to have Jared Jeffries to fill that void. Jeffries is versatile like Odom, but Odom is a much better scorer and rebounder. I am not so sure on the Magic.

We all know what the Bulls have on their roster. I am not sure if they are a good match for us. Portland can offer Travis Outlaw or Bayless. The Heat have nothing either, unless they are finally willing to take on Eddy Curry. Nate and Wade would be an interesting backcourt.

“Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind Friday and decided not to join the Portland Trail Blazers, opting instead to accept a $53 million, five-year offer from the Toronto Raptors, sources told ESPN.com.

The decision left the Blazers livid and was a huge coup for the Raptors, who have promised Turkoglu all of the salary-cap space they will have from renouncing their rights to Shawn Marion,Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino, which will likely add up to a starting salary in the $10.1 million range, with eight percent annual raises.”

Blow in the face to the Blazers.  If I were Hedo I would much rather play in Portland with Brandon Roy and Lamarcus Aldrige than in Toronto but I guess the offer was better.  Hedo is going to get booed in Portland like Mark Teixeira gets booed in Boston and Baltimore.  In my opinion, Hedo is overrated.  He had a great 07-08 season when he won the Most Improved Player Award, but he kind of retrogressed this year.  He was clutch in the playoffs, and he’s versatile (he can bring the ball up for you at 6′10) but I wonder if $10 million is too much for a 30 year old who’s reached his ceiling, considering the 5 year commitment.  It befuddles me why teams with no shot of competing for a championship overpay for players as though they think these moves will put them over the top.  Detroit grossly overpaying for Charlie Villanueva and signing Ben Gordon, like that puts them up there with Boston, Orlando, and Cleveland.  Toronto is a playoff team now, but is this really going to keep Chris Bosh in Toronto?

Give Mark Bartlestein credit, the guy knows what being an agent is all about. Rumors have swirled that the agent for David Lee has been campaigning to try and get his client top dollar. In essence, that’s his job.

At the same time, what you have to love about Knicks president Donnie Walsh is his patience, and the gamesmanship between the two has been something to watch over the past year. Walsh’s experience, it would seem, has given the Knicks great positioning.

Walsh knew that his focus when he took the job in New York was going to be clearing cap space so the team could be players in the 2010 free agent market. He also knew that he had some talent here, particularly in Lee and guard Nate Robinson, and his job was to evaluate them moving forward. Without question, their play — along with their free agent positioning — would have an impact on the Knicks.

But let’s stick with Lee. They guy is a workhorse who brings the energy that you need to make it in this league. He’s got all the tools to be a real player in this league year in and year out.

Almost.

Lee is the type of player fans can grasp on to, as in someone who you know will give you an effort even if the team loses by a ton. It’s that effort that sometimes disguises his weaknesses and often gets ignored by fans who are fascinated by stats and double-doubles.

Lee is a solid player on a championship team. His agent is kidding himself if he thinks he’s a player who puts teams over the top for a championship. Is Lee the missing piece in Cleveland or Orlando? Is he the guy that gets Denver over the rocky mountain? The answer, it would seem, would be no.

In this economy and this market, the fact that no team has reportedly given Lee an offer he can’t refuse tells you all you need to know. Granted, Lee has said all along that he wants to be here and I don’t think, in the end, that he’d be upset if he comes back here for far less than what his agent is asking for.

Advantage Walsh.more.

DO NOT underestimate the impact of Rudy Fernandez in all this. Sources tell me that Rudy was FURIOUS the Blazers were contemplating Hedo, and as we’ve told you the fans have a real impact on the front office and it’s decisions and they absolultely Fernandez.

And no, this does not open up a door for David Lee, from what I’m hearing.

##########################################

Via Jason Quick of The Oregonian:

“The Oregonian has learned that free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu has rejected an offer to sign with the Trail Blazers and has ended negotiations with the team.

He will leave town tomorrow morning.

More to come.”

Let the drama ensue…

Toronto Raptors: It appears that they are going to re-sign SF Shawn Marion, although ESPN.com is reporting that a deal is not close. Marion wants a deal similar to the 5 year, $50 million deal that Turkoglu just got from the Blazers. Good luck with that Shawn. The Raptors drafted SG / SF DeMar Derozan with the 9th overall pick, but Bryan Colangelo is trying to bring back Carlos Delfino and / or Anthony Parker to hold down the SG spot until Derozan is ready to contribute. Also, Colangelo kicked off the off-season by trading SG Jason Kapono to the Sixers for rugged forward Reggie Evans.

My thoughts: The Raptors have not done a ton to fix their PG problems, but they were making a push at the end of last year. While Bargnani and Bosh are a soft front line, their length can mesh well with Shawn Marion if he is there for a full season. DeRozan can be good down the line, but not right away. They still need a backup PG.

Boston Celtics:The Celtics have Leon Powe and Glen Davis to deal with as RFA, but I think Davis is a goner. The Celtics sent a cavalry to try and recruit Sheed. If the Celtics get him, then minor moves and a healthy season from their core should put them back into title contention. They are still going to ride their Big 3, along with Perkins and Rondo with the hope of another title.

New York Knicks: I will skip the Knicks for now.

New Jersey Nets: The Nets traded Vince Carter and young forward Ryan Anderson for Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee. They got a starting SG and a desperately needed backup PG. Drafting Terrence Williams was a great move for the Nets. If I was running the Nets, I would place a call to the Jazz and ask about Carlos Boozer. I think Boozer’s grit and rebounding would be a great fit with Brook Lopez in the frontcourt. Some people disagree with that, but Boozer, Lopez, Harris, and the role players can push that team into playoff contention while giving them the ability to sign another max free agent next summer. They should get Boozer!

Philadelphia Sixers:They have to figure out the Andre Miller situation. Jrue Holiday at 17 was a great value pick, but Holiday is not ready for a starting role. I am not even sure if he is ready for a rotation role yet. If the Sixers lose Miller, they better find a suitable backup plan because they need a real PG to lead that team. Jason Kapono (see above) should help that team’s poor outside shooting.

Washington Wizards:I like their trade with the Wolves. A healthy Arenas, Randy Foye, Caron Butler, Jamison, and Brendan Haywood is a strong starting five. Their bench can use a bit more, but Crittendon, McGee, Miller, and Nick Young is a good start. Perhaps a versatile defensive minded player like Jared Jeffries would serve that bench well.

My thoughts: The Wizards have done plenty to improve their team thus far. But their biggest addition next year will be a healthy Arenas. If his knees are not right, that team will struggle badly yet again. If Arenas is healthy, that team is a playoff team. it is that simple.

Charlotte Bobcats: They have to deal with the Felton situation. Drafting Henderson was a good pick at 12. That team needs a bit more offensive pop in the backcourt or in the frontcourt. I think Iverson would help that team, but I do not think that they will go down that path. They can be a playoff team next year. I think they grew as a team last year and I think Larry Brown will have them playing well next season. If they can nab a player like Chris Kaman or Eddy Curry, that team can be dangerous. Their bench also needs a bit more.

Atlanta Hawks: I am not sure what to think of the Hawks. I love their Jeff Teague pick. Mike Bibby appears to be returning, but I am not sure about Josh Childress and Marvin Williams. The team needs a true center and has to figure out their situation with their RFAs. I like their Jamal Crawford move. he is a better scorer off the bench than Flip Murray was last year, and the Hawks were the 4th seed in the playoffs.

Miami Heat:They are reportedly talking to Allen Iverson, but I am not sure if that will come to fruition. Their biggest acquisition might be the improvement of Michael Beasley.

Orlando Magic: I like their decision to get Vince Carter, and i really like their decision to move away from the Hedo / Lewis tandem. They got killed in the paint against the Lakers because the Laker front line was too big for the SFs. I think the Magic can use a more traditional PF to fill the hole in the starting lineup.

The player that Olrando should pursue very hard is Lamar Odom. Unless Odom re-signs with LA (which will probably happen), Orlando would be a great spot for Odom. His versatility can serve that team well and he would start at the PF spot. He should be the guy. I doubt they have the assets and / or the funds to get Boozer, and I am not sure if Boozer is a better fit than Odom anyway.

There are also rumors that the Magic can S&T Marcin Gortat (who has agreed with Dallas) for PF Brandon Bass. Not a bad move for the Magic.

Indiana Pacers:They cut Marquis Daniels and drafted Tyler Hansbrough, both moves I like a lot. Mike Dunleavy should be back next season. A fringe playoff team. Will they ever take care of the Jamal Tinsley situation? Would anyone trade Eddy Curry for Tinsley?

Cleveland Cavs: Getting Shaq was a big move, but with the Lakers getting Artest, and Ariza going to the Rockets, the Cavs have to make another move. Orlando, Boston, San Antonio, and Cleveland will all battle for Rasheed Wallace. If Clevland gets him, then a front line of Sheed, Shaq, and LeBron, with Mo Williams at the point, might put that team into the Finals. Perhaps though, the Cavs might be better off bringing back Varajeo and trying to find a SG with the MLE.

Detroit Pistons:I do not love the Gordon and Villanueva moves. They also drafted Austin Daye and DeJuan Summers. They will be a playoff team, but they are not elite. Not sure if I would have dumped all of my cap room on those tow guys. If the Pistons can get Boozer, I will change my mind on them.

Chicago Bulls: Not sure what they are doing. Losing Gordon hurt, but that was foreseeable. They have depth at the guard spot with Salmons, Hinrich and Rose. They have the assets to go get a big name, and they should look into some of the big name big men. They drafted James Johnson and Taj Gibson in the draft. That team has a ton of assets and they should consolidate.

Milwaukee Bucks:They let go of Villanueva. The are going to try and keep Sessions. They traded Jefferson for spare parts. They drafted Brandon Jennings, which can be either very good or very bad. Apparently they want Josh Childress. I do not see the Bucks as a playoff team next year.

This report does not sound definite to me.  The reality is that there are only two teams in on Kidd.  He is either going to Dallas or NY.  The reality is also that Dallas is a playoff lock for next year and Kidd will receive more money from Mark Cuban than he will from James Dolan.

I am not completely writing off Kidd yet until he officially says he is going to stay in Dallas.  That said, Kidd is a longshot in NY.  He always has been.

If Kidd doesn’t come here, Plan B has to be Steve Nash.  But Nash has to be traded for, and there are rumors that Nash might sign an extension in Phoenix.  Part of the lure of Kidd is that he can play here for a bargain price.  Nash, who is set to make $13 million next season, will probably not take a Jason Kidd type of discount next off-season to stay with the Knicks.  Going forward, I am not so sure Nash will be a $10-13 million player.

I would love Nash, but I am not so sure that he is coming here.  So while Nash is the preferable plan B, he might not be the realistic plan B.  So if not Kidd, Nash, or Sessions, then who?  As I wrote ealier today, Walsh has to capitalize on this free agent market.  If Kidd is out of the picture, then the best remaining free agents include Shawn Marion and Lamar Odom, both players that would join a crowded group of forwads in NY. 

As for free agent point guards, Mike Bibby will likely end up back in Atlanta.  Andre Miller will likely land in either Portland via S&T or simply remain in Philly for the money.  Raymond Felton, while a good player, just does not strike me as a top PG.  He would be an upgrade over Chris Duhon, but not to the extent that I would be overly excited.  He has good numbers, but he is a bad shooter. Plus, I see Michael Jordan trying to keep Felton and trying to add another player via free agency to a roster that showed potential last year.  Allen Iverson is probably not an option here.  Interestingly, he wants to play in Memphis next year. (As an aside, Iverson to Memphis would be exciting for them.  If it does not work out, then what is the worst that can happen?  Can that franchise be any worse than they are now?  Iverson to Memphis would give the Grizzlies two more 20 ppg scorers in one week, with the team having traded for Zach Randolph.  Hasheem Thabeet, Randolph, Gay, Mayo, and Iverson, with Sam Young, Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Darrell Arthur, and perhaps Hakim Warrick off the bench would be an interesting and potentially very exciting mix of players.)  Jarrett Jack is not the answer.  And despite what some commentators might think, CJ Watson is not the answer either.  Watson is a nice player and can be good in this system.  I thought he was fantastic last year in Golden State, but he is a backup and is a fall-back solution to give depth.  He is not a starting caliber PG on a playoff team.

I am not sure what Donnie has planned.  He should use his MLE to get a player that can help.  You never know when ther will be other players at this caliber available for such cheap prices.  But who will he spend it on if not Kidd?  Stay tuned… 

“Hedo Turkoglu has reached an agreement in principle to become a Portland Trail Blazer, according to sources.

Although a verbal commitment may be announced sooner, the terms of the contract cannot be finalized until Wednesday, after the NBA informs teams what next year’s salary cap will be.”

As Tommy said, this does affect the David Lee situation because now Portland has spent their money, Oklahoma City is more interested in Paul Millsap, Memphis got Zach Randolph, and Sacramento has Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes. David Lee’s only option is basically New York.  

This coming out of the Daily News and beat writer Frank Isola:

“Jason Kidd will have to decide whether playing at Madison Square Garden is worth forfeiting $12million.

“That is approximately the difference in the three-year offers Kidd received from the Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. A person close to the veteran point guard confirmed that the Knicks presented Kidd with a three-year contract worth approximately $18 million Saturday. The Mavs offered Kidd a three-year contract worth between $25million and $30million.”

I am sure that everyone has had a point in their lives where they bought something because the value was just too good to pass up.  If you have, then you should understand the situation at hand in the NBA right now.  The financial atmosphere for this year’s free agency is unprecedented in the league (as far as I can remember).  This summer, there is a tough mix of teams not having cap space and teams looking to cut costs.  For free agents, that is a bad mix.

How much money would some of these free agents make next off-season, an off-season in which many teams will have cap space?  If the Lakers had cap space, do you realy think that Ron Artest would have signed for the MLE?  Artest realized that the MLE was the best he could do from teams other than Houston.  At that point, he simply picked his team, not his price.  The same will happen for Rasheed Wallace and a few other free agents.  It really is kind of crazy to see how this free agency is shaking out in favor of the NBA teams.  It is a strong buyers’ market.

This leads me to the Knicks.  There seems to be a split on whether or not to give Jason Kidd a contract.  Some think he is too old.  Some think he is shot.  Others think he has a couple of years left in his tank and that his leadership is something to consider.  For me, at the MLE, Jason Kidd is just simply too good to pass up.  Where else will the Knicks get a player like Kidd, who is coming off a solid year, for that kind of money?  To put his potential contract into perspective, remember that in the past, Isiah Thomas signed players like Jared Jeffries and Jerome James to the MLE.  Jason Kidd… Jerome James… Jared Jeffries… you tell me, which name does not fit with the other two?  Here is another question, if Kidd signs with the Knicks, what will all three have in common?

As for David Lee, some feel as though we should just let him go in order to preserve cap space for next year.  If you ask me, give me Jason Kidd, David Lee, some remaining cap space, and a playoff run in 2009 over a player like Amare, Joe Johnson, or Chris Bosh next summer.  Make no mistake, Amare and Bosh will receive max deals next summer.  Joe Johnson will get one that is close.  There will be too much available cap space and too much competition for them not to get those deals.  But if you ask me, aside from LeBron and Wade, no other free agent will come here and turn the entire franchise around.  No other free agent can lead this team to title contention on their own.  Because of that, Walsh should absolutely get a star free agent, such as Kidd, this summer.  For nearly 1/3 the price, Jason Kidd can help lead this team over the next three years as well as some of the max 2010 free agents not named Wade or LeBron.  For $8 million per season, Lee has too much value to let go.

Speaking of Jason Kidd being too old and speaking of the 2010 free agent crop, keep in mind what we are trying to do.  Right now, the Knicks are in a rebuilding process.  There is no mistaking that.  But, we all have to keep in mind when that rebuilding process is going to end.  If the Knicks land LeBron next summer (that’s the plan, right?), the rebuilding process is over.  If the Knicks land LeBron next summer, we will not see him as the first step towards greatness.  We will see it as the ultimate step towards greatness.  Rebuilding mode will transform very quickly into winning mode.

Donnie Walsh should seize the moment here.  This off-season is very unique.  Players will be forced to sign for deals that they would have never fathomed. I think Walsh understands this and is trying his best to capitalize.  It is simple math and it is simple logic.  While players like Joe Johnson will be signing for close to $16 million per season, players like Kidd (if he signs here) and Ron Artest will be making $6 million per season.  If you see that imbalance, then you see my point.