DeJuan Blair has been having more highs than lows in his career lately. Coming out of Pittsburgh, he started his career hot, but has since fizzled out into a rather lack luster player. San Antonio is showing they might no longer need the undersized center. He has been in and out of the lineup and is now rumored to be on the chopping block as the trade deadline approaches. So where could Blair be headed? Several big teams are now in consideration to pick him up.
Blair started in career after being considered a "steal" when San Antonio got him in the second round of the NBA Draft. In his rookie campaign, he averaged 7.6 points per game, with 6.4 rebounds in only 18 minutes of game time. He was selected to the All-Rookie second team. He then improved even more in his second year, averaging 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds while being in constant rotation of the starting lineup. However, when the Spurs acquired Boris Diaw, Blair's career with the Spurs was essentially over.
These days, Blair is lucky if he plays 14 minutes a game. Set to become a free agent at the end of the season with a contract that will owe him a little over $1 million, he is almost a lock to be traded. With Blair worth little money and being a fairly low impact player, the Spurs could struggle to get rid of him. But he does possess skills that could still have a few teams calling by Feb. 21.
Miami could be the answer for Blair. The Heat have been struggling with rebounding since Chris Anderson is not getting the job done. A young forward in place of the veteran could be what the team needs. Blair might no longer be considered a starter, but could have an impact coming off the bench for Miami.
Portland could be another likely landing spot for the young 23-year old. The Blazers originally passed on Blair three times. Blazers general manager Neil Olshey recently said the team needs help rebounding and Blair is the perfect player for that.
This season, Blair is only averaging 5.3 points per game and 3.9 rebound in 13.9 minutes. Having only appeared in 38 games, he will be a difficult player to hand off and get anything of substance in return. San Antonio trades always have more lies that truth to them, but the team seems serious about getting rid of Blair. Only question is, will they get something satisfactory in return?
