Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com wonders whether the Portland Trail Blazers would trade UK big man Anthony Davis if they win the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery.
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Imagine if the Trail Blazers win. Of all 13 teams on stage tonight -- the Hornets have their own spot and the unprotected Timberwolves pick as well -- Portland is the only one that would not have an immediate upgrade with Davis at power forward. Not with All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge holding down that spot. Long term could be another matter, as the debate of proven vs. potential returns. But the Blazers don't want another couple years of patience.

Aldridge and Davis could work together, but whoever is hired as general manager in Portland would be fielding a lot of calls. The Blazers want trade options, and they would have them.
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Two weeks back, we noted a report that said the National Basketball Players Association planned to seek arbitration regarding Bird Rights available to free agents that are picked up after being waived. The NBPA believes those players should have their Bird Rights restored while the NBA believes its current rule, which does not grant Bird Rights in this situation, should be maintained.

Portland Trail Blazers forward J.J. Hickson is one player who could be impacted by this ruling.

Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports that the arbitration hearing is set for June 13.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports that the Portland Trail Blazers are one of a number of teams to express interest in Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw regarding a head coaching position. Wells asked Pacers head coach Frank Vogel for his thoughts on Shaw's future.
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On whether he expects associate head coach Brian Shaw to return next season (Portland, Charlotte and Orlando have expressed interest in him for their head coaching positions):

"I'd be shocked if he does come back. I'm actually shocked that he's not a head coach already. He's got it all. He's going to be one of the top five head coaches in the NBA for the next 10 years when he finally gets his shot, and there's not a doubt in my mind that's going to happen. I had high expectations for him coming in, and he flat out blew me away and exceeded those expectations, much like our team did, with everything he does. He has no weaknesses to him at all. He's a workaholic."
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Back in March, the Blazers fired coach Nate McMillan with assistant coach Kaleb Canales promoted to interim coach.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports that Portland Trail Blazers president Larry Miller said that his team's lengthy search for a new GM could "soon" be coming to an end.
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The finalists are believed to be former New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower; Indiana general manager David Morway and Los Angeles Clippers general manager Neil Olshey.

"We’ve had three people in front of Paul, and now we are down to the vetting process and checking backgrounds,’’ Miller said on Tuesday. "We’ve done a lot of that already, so we should be able to move fairly quickly. We will talk through the decision and talk details ... it could happen pretty soon.’’
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Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com has a similar report, naming the same three finalists.
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Those three candidates are believed to be former general manger of the New Orleans Hornets, Jeff Bower, current general manager for the Indiana Pacers, David Morway, and general manager for the Los Angeles Clippers, Neil Olshey.

Miller still wouldn't issue a timetable on when they would name their next general manger, but says that he, Bert Kolde and owner Paul Allen will be in constant communication deciding who their next guy will be.

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John Canzano of The Oregonian reports on Twitter that Philadelphia 76ers executive Tony DiLeo could also be in the mix.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Dave discussed the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery on OPB's Think Out Loud on Tuesday morning. Hit the link for the audio.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that Portland Trail Blazers owner Pal Allen met with Los Angeles Clippers GM Neil Olshey as the Blazers continue their search for a new GM.
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League sources say Clippers GM Neil Olshey met with Portland owner Paul Allen in London recently about the Blazers' GM opening. Olshey does not have a contract for next season with the Clippers.
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Olshey's name previously came up with regard to Portland's GM position in September 2011 before Olshey re-signed with the Clippers.

Olshey finished third in voting for the 2012 NBA Executive of the Year.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Chad Ford of ESPN.com has posted the following workout video and interview of Weber State point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard is considered one of the top-2 point guard prospects in the 2012 NBA Draft class.

A Lillard highlight video was posted earlier this week.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

TalkBasket.com reports -- citing MalagaHoy.com --that there are multiple big-name international teams interested in Joel Freeland, a 25-year-old British big man selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft who played last season for Unicaja Malaga in Spain's ACB league.
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The chances that Joel Freeland will continue his career in Malaga are becoming smaller. Three elite teams are reportedly willing to make an offer in order to break his contract.

As it was reported by malagahoy.es, Barcelona, CSKA Moscow and Anadolu Efes have already made first inquiries regarding the possiblity of signing Joel Freeland.
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Blazers Acting GM Chad Buchanan has expressed interest in bringing Freeland to the NBA for the 2012-2013 season. Freeland reportedly faces a July 10 deadline to buy out of his current contract.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com with an interesting piece on former Miami Heat executive Randy Pfund, who was a candidate for the Portland Trail Blazers GM job a few years back.

Pfund sounds a bit skeptical about how the process went down.
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"They had a lot going on at the time," he said. "I didn't talk to Paul [Allen], he was in Europe. I had lunch with Larry Miller and had a quick meeting with Nate McMillan at the practice facility that probably did not go that well. I'm not sure if it was all just a dog-and-pony show or what.

"I felt like I had about 10 minutes to present myself. I was disappointed with that."
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Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com reports that the top two candidates for the Portland Trail Blazers' open GM position could be Los Angeles Lakers executive Mitch Kupchak and former Golden State Warriors executive Chris Mullin.
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Hearing Portland GM job is hinging on Mitch Kupchak's decision --- Portland has him as the top candidate. Chris Mullin could be Plan B
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Both have been linked to the job in recent rumors. The Blazers have not yet requested to speak to Kupchak and he said he was staying put during exit interviews. The Mullin idea was shot down recently in one report.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

As we turn our attention towards the 2012 NBA Draft class of prospects, check out the extensive player breakdowns posted by Bjorn Zetterberg at SwishScout.com. There are 30+ deep profiles up, including all of the major Lottery prospects.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Charley Walters of TwinCities.com writes that Portland Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla could be headed to the Chicago Bulls as a free agent this summer.
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Best bet for former Gophers center Joel Przybilla, 32, who finished the season with the Portland Trail Blazers, is that he signs a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bulls this summer. Przybilla considered the Bulls before re-signing with Portland this year.
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

UNC point guard Kendall Marshall says during a question and answer session on an IMG Academies blog that he suffered a fractured elbow in addition to a wrist injury that limited him during the 2012 NCAA tournament.
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My wrist is almost 100 percent. What people didn’t know is that I also fractured my elbow. That’s been the toughest thing for me to deal with, still not being able to go full contact. Hopefully, I’ll be ready to go by the Combine.
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Over at Bright Side of the Sun, 7footer has put together a detailed prospect profile of Marshall.
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His passing is of course his greatest asset while his shooting and scoring seems to be only average at best. But there's much more to Marshall as a player than just that.

Marshall excels at passing in pick and roll plays as well as in transition, and his court vision and overall feel for the game are unmatched. Anyone who watched Marshall play in college will likely tell you that Marshall is also a great floor general who does a fantastic job of leading his team on the court and who makes a difference simply by being in the game.
...
The biggest questions about Marshall are about his average jump shot and his less than ideal athleticism. His underwhelming athleticism is also a concern on the defensive side of the ball as he has sometimes struggled to keep up with quicker guards. While both of these areas are legitimate concerns, Marshall has also shown the ability to score when necessary and also displayed an improved jump shot during the NCAA tournament, and his solid defensive fundamentals help him compensate for his lack of quickness as well.
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports that Houston Rockets guard Kyle Lowry believes a trade would be wise because of his strained relationship with coach Kevin McHale.
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"I honestly think it would be tough [to coexist with McHale]. Things have to be addressed. The situation would have to be addressed. If things aren’t addressed coaching-wise, I guess I have to be moved."
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Rockets GM Daryl Morey is also quoted in the article saying the team "plans to sign" Goran Dragic, who is a free agent this summer and has been linked to the Portland Trail Blazers in rumors. Morey said the two point guards can play together but Lowry sees the team facing a Lowry-or-Dragic decision.
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"We’re both capable starters. We both want it. It’s going to have to be a situation where they make a decision on one of us. It has nothing to do with Goran. I’m not happy with the way coaches handled things. If management wants to do something to keep Goran, I think I’ll have to be moved."
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

The Portland Trail Blazers announced on Friday that the team will hold a pre-Draft workout at the Tualatin practice facility on Tuesday. A list of participants has not yet been released.

The team notes that this will "likely" be the only set of workouts until mid-June. The 2012 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 28, 2012, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

The Portland Trail Blazers are hosting an NBA Draft Lottery party on Wednesday, May 30, at 4:30 PM at the Lloyd Buffalo Wild Wings. Address: 1200 NE Broadway, Suite 20, Portland, OR 97232.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Michael Levin compares the NBA's Western Conference teams to bands on DigitalRefrain.com and writes that the Portland Trail Blazers are the Smashing Pumpkins.
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When things went downhill, they went downhill fast. The brief moment of electronica before they ultimately disbanded registered the last gasp of desperation. They were never truly great, but the hints of what could have been make the end hurt worse than people would lead on. At least J.J. Hickson managed to scrape something out of it.

You feel bad for LMA, but he’ll count his money off the "Cherub Rock" royalties and will be juuuust fine.
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Here's Portland Trail Blazers play-by-play broadcaster Mike Barrett's take on the team's never-ending search for a new GM via this TrailBlazers.TV video.
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"I kind of like the fact that [the Blazers] don't make this a public thing. Don't mistake a lack of leaks for a lack of activity. I know they continue with that [GM search]. I know that if you are a candidate that is interviewed, a sure-fire way to not get the job is to get done with the interview and go talk about it with whoever, the media, your agent... a lot of agents do use the media."
...
"I'm not too concerned that we haven't heard a ton of rumors over the last few days... It's not like they're not conducting a search or they're not out looking."
...
"I expect good news and hopefully soon. I just don't know when. I know it's going to be GM first and maybe by Summer League we have a coach, maybe before that."
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

About three weeks ago, we noted that former Portland Trail Blazers executive J.E. Isaac had joined a Portland PR firm after resigning back in June 2011.

Isaac wrote an editorial for The Oregonian this week in which he sang the praises of his former boss, Blazers owner Paul Allen.
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Recent articles criticizing Allen and speculating about his future as the Blazers owner are further evidences some people have very short memories. How soon we forget that but for Allen's purchase of the team, his private funding of the Rose Garden and his tolerance for massive operating losses caused by the costs of fielding a competitive team in a small market, Portland, like Seattle, wouldn't have an NBA franchise today.

It seems that many have forgotten that during his time as owner, the team has been to the Western Conference championships four times and to the NBA finals twice. Old news, you might say. Well, have we also forgotten that five years ago the town was as excited as I have ever seen it, even in the days of Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter, over what looked at the time to be a potential dynasty with Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden at the core of a young and exciting team?
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Sam Amick of SI.com interviews Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan, legendary coach of the Utah Jazz, who has been linked to open coaching jobs with the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Bobcats. Sloan says he doesn't quite know what to make of the Portland Trail Blazers and their head coaching position right now.
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SI.com: Since we're making the rounds, though, Portland is another team looking for a coach. Does that position interest you?

Sloan: I have no idea. If someone calls me or wants to talk to me, I guess that's the best way to do it. I don't really like to speculate on what's going to happen. It's just a waste of my time, really.
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Blazers assistant coach Kaleb Canales was promoted to interim coach back in March. Blazers president Larry Miller has stated the team will address its coaching position once it hires a GM.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that the Orlando Magic will begin their search for a new GM this week. One possible target is former Portland Trail Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard.
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The Magic also are interested in speaking with Pacers general manager David Morway and former Hornets GM Jeff Bower, both of whom have interviewed twice for the Trail Blazers' opening, and former Portland GM and current Pacers executive Kevin Pritchard, sources said.

Magic officials believe former Pacers and Knicks president Donnie Walsh would be a good fit, but sources say the team is convinced that if Walsh returns to a front-office job, it will be in Indiana in the likely event team president Larry Bird retires.
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The Magic parted ways with former GM Otis Smith earlier this week.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports that Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said on Wednesday that he has no plans to leave the organization.
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Mitch Kupchak said he's staying with the Lakers, calling it "the best job."
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The Portland Trail Blazers have been rumored to have interest in Kupchak for their open GM position but reportedly have not contacted the Lakers requesting permission to speak with him.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter