Rudy Fernandez is stuck between a rock and Paul Allen’s pocketbook, and he’s not getting out anytime soon. Unfortunately, he hasn’t realized it yet. Feeling underutilized and under-appreciated, Fernandez has threatened to sit out the remaining two seasons of his contract unless the Blazers trade him or buy out the remainder of his contract so he can play in Europe.
Meanwhile, the Blazers refuse to give up a valuable asset for chump change, choosing instead to call Fernandez’s bluff.
The result is a standoff as lopsided as the 2002 NBA Finals.
On one side, you have Fernandez, a third year veteran unhappy with his role with the team. His beef is legitimate: he’s not getting minutes and, despite being an all-around talent, he has been relegated to the role of one-dimensional shooter. The problem is he has no leverage. He’s the NBA equivalent of a bank robber without a gun. The Blazers have him under contract and there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it other than bitch and moan, which he’s done a fair amount of this summer.
On the other side are the Blazers, holding a Delonte West-sized arsenal.
With both the NBA and FIBA on their side, they are in a position of absolute power. As long as the Blazers have Fernandez under contract, which they do for this season and next, he can’t go anywhere. Fernandez can posture about leaving for Europe all he wants, but technically his fortunes are chained to the whims of general manager Rich Cho for the next two seasons — under FIBA rules a player can’t sign with a European team unless his NBA team releases him.
On top of that, the league is putting the squeeze on Fernandez to keep his mouth shut. They’ve already fined him $25,000 for “statements detrimental to the league” in response to his refusal to play for the Blazers, and I’m sure they won’t hesitate to do so again if it means keeping their international rep intact.
David Stern has long made bones about wanting to expand the NBA’s international reach. There’s no way he’s going to let one disgruntled Spaniard ruin it for him.
On top of that top (see what I did there?), Fernandez isn’t as essential to the team’s success as he was in previous seasons. He’s a talented player (you don’t break the rookie record for 3-pointers by chance), but the offseason signing of Wesley Matthews means the Blazers are as loaded at shooting guard as they’ve ever been. In other words, he’s no Darrelle Revis.
All of which adds up to zero leverage for Fernandez.
As John Hollinger tweeted on Wednesday, “You could push on a string and get more leverage than Rudy Fernandez has right now.”
Given the tepid trade offers Cho has been receiving, Fernandez is better off shutting his mouth, returning to the team and putting in the extra work needed to increase his value at the trade deadline.
He may be itching to get out of Portland, but this is one standoff Fernandez is not going to win. Right now he’s just prolonging the inevitable, and making everyone miserable in the process.
Patrick Crawley is the sports editor for Neon Tommy and the managing editor of Basketball Fiend. Follow him on Twitter at @BasketballFiend.
Effort has something to do with self-confindence, and a player needs the trust from the coaching staff. I don`t think that Rudy got it in Portland. They would not sign Matthews if they have faith in his game. He is unhappy with his situation. What he is able to do, when he is happy and get trust from coaching side, you can see in his game with his national team. Rudy is a better player, than he has shown and could show in the system of McMillan in Portland. I hope Rudy can get out and he can reach a buyout with the Blazers. Good luck, Rudy!
The whole morning looking for this information and I could not find it, thanks to you I found it. Thank you do not have to ask for more.