As promising and charismatic as the Portland Trailblazers’ young core was (and still is, for those really paying attention), Rudy Fernandez always seemed to be a bit superfluous. Even during Rudy’s terrific rookie season, he seemed like a placeholder; it was glorious to watch him thrive and produce while he could, but Brandon Roy was always going to take up most of the minutes at Fernandez’s natural position, and with a number of other developing options at the 3, it seemed only a matter of time before Rudy was effectively marginalized.
That day has come, albeit a bit sooner than expected. Not because Martell Webster seized the day, Travis Outlaw figured things out, or Nic Batum became an elite wing, but because with only so many minutes to go around, somebody was going to get less burn than they wanted or deserved. That guy, in his own eyes anyway, was Fernandez.
Rudy’s no stranger to trade rumors (in addition to erroneous reports of him catching the first flight back to Spain), but he’s again been the talk of the mill. The latest: according to NBA.com’s David Aldridge, the Rockets and the Raptors have been active in trying to acquire Fernandez, and Aldridge reports that a potential package from the Raps could include the No. 13 pick in tonight’s draft.
Houston would be an interesting landing point, though if Fernandez is looking to compete for a starting spot, it’s not ideal. It’s Kevin Martin’s job to lose, and regardless of what anyone thought of Kevin’s production last season, he’s not losing it. Beyond Martin, the Rox also have Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier filling minutes on the wing, and a number of other role players that will likely eat up some time here and there.
Toronto could make a bit more sense, even if Rudy would be another Bryan Colangelo punchline. Fernandez doesn’t fit any of the Raptors’ specific needs, but having Jose Calderon, Fernandez, and Hedo Turkoglu on the perimeter could make for pretty interesting offense with a lot of ball movement. Of course none of those three guys are particularly good finishers, so you’re looking at a squad dependent on an exorbitant amount of jumpers but without any particularly great jumpshooters. Oh, and no Chris Bosh. Sounds fun, right?
It’s clear that what Rudy really wants is the chance to play, but I think pushing for a trade is something he may really regret once he leaves Portland. The Blazers are a good organization with one of the best fan bases around, and even though they haven’t allowed him to really spread his wings in the NBA, they’re still a playoff contender with the potential to be even more. The Rockets will be back in the hunt with a healthy Yao, but is playing for a rebuilding Knicks or Raptors team really what Rudy wants?