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With point guard Ricky Rubio possibly slipping out of the top four, the Blazers are talking to the...

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With point guard Ricky Rubio possibly slipping out of the top four, the Blazers are talking to the Wizards about acquiring the No. 5 pick. Pritchard has been on the hunt for a point guard, and Rubio would be a nice fit to round out the Blazers' collection of young, unselfish talents. But trading for the No. 5 pick is far from a done deal, as the price would be high for the Blazers. The Wizards want any team interested in the No. 5 pick to take Etan Thomas off their hands -- a move that could eat into the Blazers' cap space this summer. The deal almost certainly would cost the Blazers some young talent, like Bayless, Travis Outlaw or Batum.

Chad Ford. If Portland wants to move up to get Rubio, I'd probably insist that they give Rudy Fernandez back as part of their package. No need to take back any less when we could keep Rubio ourselves.