The Portland Trail Blazers feel like they found a hidden gem in Thomas Robinson and after acquiring him in a trade from the Houston Rockets so they could sign Dwight Howard, the front office sees it as a steal.
The deal for the Blazers came as the Rockets were wooing Howard and Robinson was sent over for two future second-round picks and the rights to European players Kostas Papanikolaou and Marko Todorovic, a small price to pay for a player the team feels can be an All-Star. According to Oregon Live, the team loves what it has seen from Robinson and that he has time to work on things in the summer league before training camp.
Bringing in Robinson has also gotten the wheels spinning again on trade talks for LaMarcus Aldridge, who reportedly asked for a traded earlier in the offseason and according to ESPN.com and Pro Basketball Talk, the Bucks, Timberwolves or Raptors could be interested in acquiring the budding star. Robinson has raw talent and great athletic ability and Blazers coach Terry Stotts is excited to see what he can do during the season. Robinson was traded very quickly in a short time, going from the Kings to the Rockets to the Blazers and now it appears he can finally settle in.
Although Robinson is averaging 6.5 points and 9.0 rebounds and shooting just 29 percent in the summer league, the team has liked what they have seen from hi in practice and they are prepared to handle things with patience. Robinson was the fifth pick by the Kings last season and he played in 70 games between the two teams and averaged 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 15.1 minutes. Aldridge could be moved so the team can focus more on the future and there are a number of teams that could be interested in him.
Last season he showed why he is one of the best players at his position in the league, averaging 21.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks and another reason he could be on the way out is due to Robinson's numbers of averaged 11.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per 36 minutes, but clearly he does not yet match the talent of the All-Star. The Blazers will be pragmatic this offseason as they evaluate, but a big move could be on the horizon.