PACERS, BLAZERS SWAP FIVE
The Portland Trail Blazers potentially acquired forward Ike Diogu and guard Jerryd Bayless from the Indiana Pacers for guards Jarrett Jack and Brandon Rush as well as forward Josh McRoberts.
What does it give the Portland Trail Blazers
GM Kevin Pritchard has done it again, trading up to grab a marquee talent. Bayless is a great point guard prospect that easily could have snuck into the top five or six picks of the draft if things had shaken up a bit differently. He might not be a prototypical point guard like Derrick Rose, but with Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and everyone else, Portland has yet another young stud to mold. In comparison, Ike Diogu looks like a throw-in, but he's still young and certainly could use a change of scenery after a miserable season and a half with Indiana.
What does it give the Indiana Pacers
Admittedly, this one is a bit of a head scratcher. Brandon Rush is a solid, NBA-ready talent, and will be reunited with his brother (Kareem Rush) in the Pacers' locker room, but he doesn't have nearly the upside that Bayless brings. Jarrett Jack is a decent point guard and will be fine backing up new starter T.J. Ford, but Josh McRoberts will struggle finding a steady role in an NBA rotation. Bayless seemed like a steal for the Pacers at number 11, but evidently Larry Bird and the rest of the front office are happy with Ford and were willing to part with the potential star.
Fantasy impact
