Ramon Sessions and Andre Miller: my in-box gets flooded daily about these two free agents point guards probably more than any others. So instead of sending email after email, let me break it down in a blog post.

Would you rather have Sessions or Miller?

What’s it going to be Portland?

While it has become clear the Blazers are in full blown discussion with Miller, it remains to be seen if they will venture into negotiations with Sessions – a young athletic guard on the come up. For the past few weeks, the Blazers have picked their man and individually gone after him. You don’t hear much about Portland's management entering talks with two players at once – much like the New York Knicks are doing now with Sessions and Miller.

The Knicks have both Sessions and Miller on their point guard short list and while Sessions’ agent, Chubby Wells, and Knicks president Donnie Walsh met earlier in the week, Miller and New York also met in Las Vegas recently. Leave it to the Knicks to take a gamble.

As it stands, Walsh is torn. Is that a position Kevin Pritchard could find himself in?

If so, it would be a win-win for the Blazers in forcing the Knicks to ante-up for one point guard, all while staking claim in the other. The trouble with chasing Sessions however is the Milwaukee Bucks plan on matching. They instead prefer to move back-up Luke Ridnour.

We’ve seen this song and dance before with Paul Millsap. Portland would see it again if they went after David Lee. The same goes if they decided to go after Sessions. It’s an exhausting game of extend an offer sheet, wait for the match and go home empty handed.

For now though, Miller is the man for Portland much to Jerryd Bayless’ chagrined. The trouble is, according to sources close to the Knicks I've touched base with the past couple days, Andre is leaning towards Manhattan more so than the Pacific Northwest.  

But this is a funny business, one often dominated by NBA agents and their ability to play chess. It’s not uncommon for agents – in this case Andy Miller, who represents Andre Miller as well as Rudy Fernandez - to leverage one client's contract in hopes of securing a better deal for another client's contract down the road.

Take care of my guy now, and I'll make sure my other guy takes care of you later.

If that game is being played, all Andre Miller has to decide is between the Pearl District and Lake Oswego.  

pic via: the world wide leader

Comments (13)

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written by Scott, July 23, 2009

It's Sessions! What do I have to do to convince KP? I can't believe that he's on the verge of settling for Miller.

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written by wmaxey, July 23, 2009

hey scott.....thanks for reading and writing.

think many are wondering the same thing. i don't see the hurt in courting two guys at the same time, but then again i'm not in a front office position to say otherwise.

maybe they know something we don't. maybe they don't want to go through a paul millsap scenerio all over again.

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written by VkK9f, July 23, 2009

A good question indeed. Wendell, I've been wondering...we all know that Andre Miller can't shoot 3's, which is something I would expect would be important for a point guard in the Blazers current system, but I've been a Miller fan because of his ability to drive and dish, and I wondered if you think that more driving and dishing will result in more (and easier) looks for LA and GO? Or will adding a player like Miller just risk clogging the lane? Would love to hear your take on that

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written by Gasman, July 23, 2009

What about Vancouver?
He could www.Move2TheCouve.com
I'm beginning to see that Bayless doesn't fit long term and is a good chess piece to find a better fit at the point or backup 4.

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written by hg, July 23, 2009

You answered my question. Are there things that we don't know? Are we getting desperate and just settling for whomever (or is it whoever)?

What if we waited? If Milwaukie Matches for Sessions we could take Ridnour. He is OK isn't he?

I don't know who or what we would have to give up in a sign and trade for miller. It is back to the question of things I don't know.

I am thinking differently for a change, I don't think Bayless is a pg for the near future and maybe not for the long run. Other than my four guard plan, we do need help at pg. If JBay left and Miller came, being as how he can't make 3's we could still go on the 4 guard combo idea.

Anyway I don't have enough info to make that decision. Heck, I don't even know who would make the best player for us.

hg

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written by wmaxey, July 23, 2009

thanks for hitting me up vk.....appreciate it.

miller's three point shooting is rather suspect actually....compared to someone like blake for example. but with someone like martell webster coming back, you can sacrafice on the perimeter to get what miller's real skills showcase: his ability to get into the paint.

i was talking to someone last night about this - and miller would for sure benefit both greg and lamarcus, along with other bigs like joel and pendergraph.

truth be told though, sessions is younger and could do the same.

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written by wmaxey, July 23, 2009

you''re pimping your site on my blog?

i've seen it all now.....

the kid is drawing interest. best take other teams up on him knowing the fit may not be right here in portland with roy and the need for an all-in-one point guard.

besides, bayless will go somewhere else and blow-up jermaine o'neal style.

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written by wmaxey, July 23, 2009

the front office is taking a look at the best available players by position right now - currently free agent point guards - to see if they can better their position.

simply part of the evaluation process.

portland isn't interested in ridnour, so no to need to go there. and for that fact nothing is certain with miller. the two sides spoke but nothing is concrete at this point.

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written by hg, July 23, 2009

Thanks again for your response

hg

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written by Nikolokolus, July 24, 2009

I think Sessions is primed to be another "Millsap"; the Bucks didn't just trade RJ for a bag of poo and a hot plate of garbage for nothing (not to mention letting CV walk) KP pursuing him is going to leave the Blazers right where they are now -- holding 7.7 million in hand and looking kind of desperate and impotent.

I'm not hog wild about Miller, but assuming he can be signed to a reasonable contract (3 years max, 18 millionish?) I can see him doing some good for this team, he can post up smaller guards, he's a pretty good midrange shooter, he can finish, he can actually run an offense and for all the worries about him being able to play alongside Brandon I look at what he was able to do with another high usage, ball dominant shooting guard with playmaking skills in Iguodala and think to myself that could be better match than most people assume.

Whatever the case I can think of a lot worse uses for cap room than an ironman true point guard -- even if he is 33.

oi vay, what an offseason

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written by Baby Huey, July 25, 2009

Well, I guess we got the Blazers answer to your question.

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written by wmaxey, July 25, 2009

about 21 million reasons why....

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written by wmaxey, July 25, 2009

know you aren't "hog wild" on miller.....but maybe you should be by now.

solid guess on the contract too. just a few million short. not only that, but pritchard referred to miller as an "ironman" in his press conference too.....so you are on a role.

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