Portland Trailblazers put Kabosh on Bulls' plan for rebuilding...Again

First LaMarcus Aldridge, now Amare Stoudemire.

The Portland Trailblazers are reportedly offering Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless, and a huge expiring contract in Raef LaFrentz.

In every respect, that's a better deal than the one the Chicago Bulls can offer with Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich and Drew Gooden--with maybe even a first-round pick.

• The Trailblazers draft better, trade better and play better. They're on their way, and Stoudemire would certainly add a lot to a team on the rise. Such a flawed defender as Stoudemire would have little to worry about, given Greg Oden's only real trait is playing defense and rebounding.

And it could be back to the drawing board for John Paxson in a sad twisted fate that all started when the team drafted Aldridge with the second pick in the 2006 draft and traded it away for the rights to Thomas and Victor Khryapa.

To think, Khryapa was the sweetener in the deal.

Now he's probably working on some cruise boat as one of those guys who set up the ice-sculpture before brunch.