The Blazers announced Tuesday that they have reached an agreement to sign Fernandez, who has spent the past seven seasons playing for DKV Joventut Badalona in the Spanish ACB League and is a member of the Spanish national team headed for the Beijing Olympics.
Fernandez says he will come to Portland after the 2008 Games.
“He’s exactly the fabric of what we want,” Blazer General Manager Kevin Pritchard says. “He’s an unselfish kid, he’s talented, he wants to win. In sitting down and talking to him multiple times, we felt like he was a perfect fit.
“We knew for a fact that he had many other offers in Europe at much bigger dollars, more years, more fanfare and all that, but the thing that makes us excited is that he’s a competitor, and when he steps on the floor he has that special ability to make everybody a little better.”
Fernandez, who spoke in both English and Spanish during the conference calls, says learning more English is a top priority.
“Because I want communication for the team, I want to understand everything, the coach and everything,” he says.
He says he’s not nervous about playing basketball.
“My dream is to play in the NBA, and I love to play basketball,” he says. “If I go to Portland or Turkey, it doesn’t matter. I play basketball, and I love basketball.
“I want to help the team (Portland) go to the playoffs next year. I want to learn everything. I have the opportunity to play with one of the best players in the NBA, Brandon Roy, an all-star, which to me is great, because I can learn from the best player.”
Fernandez says he is a “good shooter, and I love the fastbreak.”
Pritchard commends the Spaniard for his ability to distribute the ball.
“We were amazed at how well he was passing the ball,” Pritchard says, “and he throws lobs. Our management group was kind of salivating – he’s going to have really good targets in Greg (Oden), LaMarcus (Aldridge) and Travis.”
Pritchard says Fernandez has developed into a “really good shooter, and he attacks the basket, and we need attackers. With the hand-checking rule in this league, it’s very difficult to guard guys who attack the basket, and he’s relentless at that.
“As Rudy can be the attacker, it will allow Brandon to maybe rest a little bit or be a catch-and-shoot guy, and vice versa.”