The Portland Trailblazers wanted to move Zach Randolph as they felt that LaMarcus Aldridge was ready to take over for him in the starting lineup.  So, the Blazers shipped Zach Randolph, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau to the Knicks for Stevie Francis and Channing Frye.  Stevie Francis will give the backcourt a veteran hand but it’s unclear whether he will back up Jarrett Jack or start over him.  Francis played in 44 games (30 starts) for the Knicks last season and he averaged 28.1 minutes, 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game.  He shot 40.8% from the floor, 37.8% from three point range and 82.9% from the free throw line.  Francis was bothered a lot with a bad knees last season and the Blazers hope a return to health will bring back his all-around game.  Francis has played in 566 games (540 starts) and he averaged 37.9 minutes, 18.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  He has shot 42.9% from the floor, 34.3% from three point range and 79.9% from the free throw line over his NBA career. 

Channing Frye will get a chance to compete with LaMarcus Aldridge at power forward or the Blazers might give him a chance to play some small forward which might suit his game better because he’s a little soft.  Frye played in 72 games (59 starts) for the Knicks last season and he averaged 26.3 minutes, 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  He shot 43.3% from the floor, 16.7% from three point range and 78.7% from the free throw line.  Frye actually regressed from his solid rookie season and it has hurt his career stat line.  He has now played in 137 games (73 starts) and he has averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  He has shot 45.4% from the floor, 22.2% from the three point line and 81.3% from the free throw line. 

The Portlant Trailblazers favorite time of the season is finally here.  Last season they imported Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Sergio Rodriguez on draft day and they all will provide a solid foundation for the future.  But tonight when they draft center Greg Oden they will be on the fast track to winning a NBA Title within the next five seasons.  Oden is a monster in the paint and he will likely average a double-double as a rookie and dominate the paint on defense from Day #1.  The Blazers also have 4 other picks in the draft (#37, #42, #52 and #53) so look for them to be very active tonight even after they select the best 19 year old basketball player in the world.  The Blazers might also be trying to trade Zach Randolph to get another high pick in the draft to select Greg Oden’s buddy Mike Conley Jr., so stay tuned.  The Blazers will also have to decide on their 3 free agents.  The Blazers will likely let Jamaal Magloire leave because he will likely have a lot of interest in his services around the league.  The Blazers should attempt to re-sign Travis Outlaw and Ime Udoka as they both really improved as basketball players last season.  This is a team to watch in the Western Conference.