NBA: Andre Miller Going to Portland
ESPN is reporting that Andre Miller is set to sign a 3-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers and it could happen as soon as today. The deal is reportedly worth up to $21 million with the first two years being guaranteed with a team option for a third year. This is bad news for Sixers and Knicks fans whose teams reportedly had an interest in landing Miller only they were only willing to offer a one year deal at mid-level exception numbers.
Miller’s agent had always been up front about his desire to land a three year, or at the very least a multi-year, deal for his client. It was rumored that the initial price tag on him was three years for $30 million but once Mike Bibby re-signed with Atlanta for about roughly six to seven million per year it became readily apparent that Miller was not going to get the $10 million he was looking for.
This is a very nice pickup for the Trail Blazers who were hoping that Jerryd Bayless could step in and be the scoring point guard they have been searching for for a couple of years now. Miller gives them a solid point man who can score 15+ every night and can rebound as well as distribute the basketball. They will lose a bit in terms of 3-point shooting but Miller’s contributions in other areas will make up for that. This move should ensure that they keep pace with others in the west and remain one of the top three or four teams in the conference.
What this means for the Sixers is that they are likely looking at a trip back to the lottery and are at best a fringe playoff contender in the Eastern Conference unless Lou Williams or Jrue Holiday suddenly morph into NBA caliber point guards by the start of the season or they can swing a deal for a veteran point man. The Sixers know they do not stand a chance at competing in the east if they have to rely on Holiday and/or Williams to be the primary ball handlers.
What does not make sense is why the Sixers were not willing to meet Miller half way and offer a two year deal or even go the route that Portland did and give him a guaranteed two years with an option for a third. Holiday is an immense talent but he is still very raw and played very little at the point his freshman year in college. He is going to need at least one, if not two, season of seasoning before being ready to run a team. It just makes sense to hang on to Miller for at least two more years while Holiday cuts his teeth on NBA ball.
Why haven’t the Sixers made a play for Raymond Felton yet for that matter? Granted he is a restricted free agent, but if you are worried about the Bobcats matching the offer why not offer some sort of a sign-and-trade? Why not give them a draft pick and Lou Williams or Willie Green to help with cap space? Felton can probably be had for about the same price tag Bibby and Miller got and his style of play fits in better with the perimeter players the Sixers will be featuring next year.
The Sixers need to act quickly and find a veteran point guard who can run the offense next season before they fall too far behind the other teams in the east who are working diligently to improve their playoff position. When one sees what other teams like Cleveland, Boston, Toronto, and Orlando have done in an effort to get better simply adding Jason Kapono and Jrue Holiday is not going to cut it.
