One of the big trades on draft day involved the Portland Trail Blazers acquiring 27-year old point guard Raymond Felton, who had what was perhaps the best season of his career last season while playing for both the Knicks and the Nuggets after he was sent to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade.
With veteran free-agent point guard Andre Miller unlikely to return to Portland, Felton appears to be the Blazers’ point guard of the future, and he sat down with 1080 The Fan in Portland to discuss how he thinks he’ll mesh with Nate McMillan’s slow-paced style of play, how much he loves Portland’s fans, and his weight, which he admits got a little high after he was traded to Denver.
The whole interview is worth checking out, but the most interesting tidbit may be the final one:Whether or not he thinks Portland can be a long-term answer:
“No, I think I’m definitely willing to sign a long-term deal here so we’ll see what happens.”With Brandon Roy and Greg Oden’s medical status constantly in question, the Blazers desperately need a young player who they can count on to be a leader and provide some stability, as well as the floor-spacing that Andre Miller couldn’t give them. Felton, who is just now entering his prime, is a natural floor general, and shot 38.5% from three in his last season with Charlotte and 46% from deep in his 21 games with Denver, may be able to fill that role.