Miller meets with Blazers, Knicks officials

By Marc Spears, Yahoo! Sports

LAS VEGAS – Free-agent point guard Andre Miller(notes) has visited with officials from the Portland Trail Blazers and New York Knicks in recent days in Las Vegas, a source close to Miller said on Monday.

Miller flew from Denver to meet with Portland coach Nate McMillan on Saturday, then met with New York coach Mike D’Antoni. He later flew to New York to talk with Knicks president Donnie Walsh.

Miller has yet to receive an offer from either the Blazers or the Knicks, and one source close to him cautioned that a deal “isn’t imminent.”

Miller, 33, averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists last season for the Philadelphia 76ers. He has missed only five games in 11 seasons. The Sixers haven’t expressed interest in giving him a long-term contract.

The Blazers, who unsuccessfully tried to sign forwards Hedo Turkoglu(notes) and Paul Millsap(notes), could use a veteran to help steady their young roster. They also have dangled backup point guard Jerryd Bayless(notes) in trade talks, a rival league executive said.

Bayless was scratched from participating with USA Basketball in its upcoming minicamp because of a wrist injury. He was replaced by Washington center JaVale McGee(notes).

And somewhere David Lee cringes a little bit more.

Does he and his agent not understand how far down the FA list that he is?

Teams will not pay David Lee until the better FAs are off the table - or those who are on the block (like boozer) are either dealt or put to rest.

Interesting take, JW44, interesting take. You could be right.

Posted by JohnWallace44:

OK, I could be way off base, but I'm going to try to pull this all together.

Portland and New York are the only remaining players in the NBA free-agency game. The Blazers want Miller and Lee and this Bayless statement sounds like they're trying to get both while getting the Knicks to back off, thus lowering the cost of both players.

If they give us Bayless and players to match Lee's new salary (Outlaw possibly), then we're going to pull out of the Miller competition.

That way they can get both players.

Portland gets Miller and Lee, Knicks get Bayless and Outlaw. That's basically the result.

Hopefully I'm close to guessing right on this one.

Interesting take JW, it's definitely possible that's the scenario right now. I wonder if we'd go after Sessions anyways?

Posted by fishmike:

I suspect Lee plays the season for the QO, rather than sign for 4 years and $32mm like Milsap got. There will be a lot of teams with cap space next year that swing and miss on the Wades and Lebrons of the world and are willing to overpay for a 2nd tier guy and Lee hopes to cash in on that. Also if the Knicks can add a guy like Sessions and play close to .500 Lee's value should dramatically increase. If he plays selfish, falls out of favor with the coach or his minutes are squeezed because someone else is outplaying him that is the risk he is taking. That and of course getting hurt.

wow what a risk. he's gonna be fighting for PT with hill, darko and gallinari this year. plus the whole king1 "touch it dave" thing might hit the press.

If the Knicks can get Bayless for Lee do you try to package Hill/Mobley or Harrington in order to get boozer, and sign sessions to the mid-level

Sessions, Bayless
Chandler, Douglas
Gallo, Jefferies
Boozer
Curry,Darko

I think that is very possible if that goes down and the team itself has some solid pieces going forward

Posted by Marv:

Posted by fishmike:

I suspect Lee plays the season for the QO, rather than sign for 4 years and $32mm like Milsap got. There will be a lot of teams with cap space next year that swing and miss on the Wades and Lebrons of the world and are willing to overpay for a 2nd tier guy and Lee hopes to cash in on that. Also if the Knicks can add a guy like Sessions and play close to .500 Lee's value should dramatically increase. If he plays selfish, falls out of favor with the coach or his minutes are squeezed because someone else is outplaying him that is the risk he is taking. That and of course getting hurt.

wow what a risk. he's gonna be fighting for PT with hill, darko and gallinari this year. plus the whole king1 "touch it dave" thing might hit the press.

LOL!!!

Posted by Marv:

Posted by EnySpree:

Makes too much sense...Getting Bayless and Outlaw helps in the 2010 plan more that signing Sessions and Lee....

btw let me continue the jocking on Bayless...he is gonna be a damn good player! i'm talkin KJ with more hops

how could anyone have more hops than a pre-injury KJ????

Bayless can take off from further away and finish with 2 hands...its not just the verticle with this kid...its the dexterity as well

Posted by JohnWallace44:

OK, I could be way off base, but I'm going to try to pull this all together.

Portland and New York are the only remaining players in the NBA free-agency game. The Blazers want Miller and Lee and this Bayless statement sounds like they're trying to get both while getting the Knicks to back off, thus lowering the cost of both players.

If they give us Bayless and players to match Lee's new salary (Outlaw possibly), then we're going to pull out of the Miller competition.

That way they can get both players.

Portland gets Miller and Lee, Knicks get Bayless and Outlaw. That's basically the result.

Hopefully I'm close to guessing right on this one.

if we get Bayless & Outlaw out of Lee at this point i'll be very happy w/that.

Posted by TMS:

Posted by JohnWallace44:

OK, I could be way off base, but I'm going to try to pull this all together.

Portland and New York are the only remaining players in the NBA free-agency game. The Blazers want Miller and Lee and this Bayless statement sounds like they're trying to get both while getting the Knicks to back off, thus lowering the cost of both players.

If they give us Bayless and players to match Lee's new salary (Outlaw possibly), then we're going to pull out of the Miller competition.

That way they can get both players.

Portland gets Miller and Lee, Knicks get Bayless and Outlaw. That's basically the result.

Hopefully I'm close to guessing right on this one.

if we get Bayless & Outlaw out of Lee at this point i'll be very happy w/that.

hell yeah. a rookie-scale prospect at pg and a 2010 expiring.

Posted by Marv:

Posted by TMS:

Posted by JohnWallace44:

OK, I could be way off base, but I'm going to try to pull this all together.

Portland and New York are the only remaining players in the NBA free-agency game. The Blazers want Miller and Lee and this Bayless statement sounds like they're trying to get both while getting the Knicks to back off, thus lowering the cost of both players.

If they give us Bayless and players to match Lee's new salary (Outlaw possibly), then we're going to pull out of the Miller competition.

That way they can get both players.

Portland gets Miller and Lee, Knicks get Bayless and Outlaw. That's basically the result.

Hopefully I'm close to guessing right on this one.

if we get Bayless & Outlaw out of Lee at this point i'll be very happy w/that.

hell yeah. a rookie-scale prospect at pg and a 2010 expiring.

The only problem is Portland is not going to offer Lee more than 4yr/$32 mill, which is probably what we are offering Lee. If Lee was willing to accept that, we would have signed him already.