"If I can not find better elsewhere, I'll stay in Portland but if I find better elsewhere, I would go. The market will open on July 1, so I really have time to take my time to watch all this. I have ten teams in mind..."

"...to be honest, the NBA playoffs are really the ultimate goal of a season. But it is clear that at a personal level, it was my best season. I rose, my stats go up, so I try to continue this progress there. But it is true that if the group does not follow, sorry ".

*translation?

"Portland Trail Blazers, $23 million under the cap: The Blazers had a fire sale at the trade deadline, dumping the contracts of Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby and narrowly missing out on moving Jamal Crawford. The Blazers will use the 2012 free-agent market as a springboard in their rebuilding process around LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum."-Larry Coon

Group 1
Suns: 26 million under
Cavs: 26 million under
Blazers: 23 million under
Celtics: 22 million under
Pacers: 21 million under
Hornets: 20 million under
Nets: 17 million under

Chad Ford of ESPN.com with some harsh words regarding Portland Trail Blazers guards Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford...
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Let's just put this way. Either the Blazers find a new home for Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford (who have quietly orchestrated a mutiny ever since Nate McMillan chewed them out in a video session a while back) or they'll probably have to let Nate go. If I'm a Blazer fan ... I'd rather lose Felton and Crawford. They won't get a lot for either guy, but there is such a thing as addition by subtraction.
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Crawford responds to the accusation, via John Canzano of The Oregonian.
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"I don't even have enough juice to say that I want to play the position I signed up for (shooting guard)."

"I pride myself on being a pro and doing whatever is asked."

"Check my quotes since I've been here. Never thrown anyone under the bus-- coach or teammate!"
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ed: bumped to front page

"Acquired in a draft-night trade from Portland in June 2010, Webster played in only 46 games with the Wolves last season, averaging 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game."

"Honorable mention: I can come up with three young guys to watch closely at this position, too. Portland's Wesley Matthews (plus-0.43) is as tough as they come and played much of the year on a bad wheel, making his solid defensive work even more impressive."

"The numbers for Portland's Gerald Wallace (minus-1.77) are even more impressive when you consider that the other starters in Charlotte, where he spent most of the year, all had badly negative adjusted plus-minus at the defensive end."

Al Iannazzone of the Berger Record reports...

"The Nets and Blazers have exchanged trade proposals and still are discussing a deal. Harris and veteran point guard Andre Miller are the main pieces, but more players are involved, multiple NBA sources said.

The Nets want to expand the trade and are trying to include disappointing free-agent signing Travis Outlaw, who began his career in Portland. The Blazers are interested in shooting guard Anthony Morrow.

Portland’s backup shooting guard Rudy Fernandez has been discussed, a source said. The Nets have talked about adding another big man so Joel Przybilla and his expiring contract also may be involved."

Ed: bumped to front page

"OK, let’s just get this out of the way. I would like to apologize to Blazers fans for being so egregiously wrong when I left Aldridge off last month’s PF rankings. I didn’t believe that he could keep playing at that high level but in the 16 games since my horrific oversight, Aldridge has averaged 25 and 10 on 51 percent shooting and the Blazers remained in the Western Conference playoff hunt with a 9-7 record over that span. With Brandon Roy expected to return to the lineup soon, Blazers fans know their selfless star will gladly sacrifice a few shot attempts if it means rising up in the standings."-TBJ

"The Trail Blazers remain in evaluation mode with regard to Andre Miller, who would be a valuable addition to a contender needing an upgrade at point guard. As has been the case for several weeks, Portland's trade posture is directly linked to Brandon Roy's immediate and long-term medical future. Roy is contemplating an experimental meniscus transplant procedure on both knees, and it's difficult for GM Rich Cho to make any significant moves until Roy's course of action is determined. Meanwhile, the plucky Blazers have managed to win five out of seven since a Christmas night loss to Golden State."-CBSSports.com

"The player that the Timberwolves truly covet is Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum. They really like his game and potential in their system, but are less than optimistic about their chances to acquire him due to how much he's valued by the Blazers and their reluctance to let go of Love or Beasley. They also happen to be just one of several teams who would love to deal for Batum, so there would be a lot of competition if the Blazers were to put him on the market."- HoopsWorld

"BRoy doesn't look right, but sources close to him insist playing off the ball w/Andre Miller has more to do w/his struggles than his knees."-Ric Bucher

Bill Simmons: "If you were running Phoenix at this point would you think about Oden?"

Steve Kerr-" No question… Absolutely, particularly if you have a good training staff. Sometimes it’s just a change of scenery, but you look at the history of the league and there are guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas who everybody thought was done with all the foot injuries, and he came back and whatever he did differently worked and he came back and became an all-star... Particularly with a guy like Oden you have to take a chance and somebody will. The question is whether someday will come in and throw big money at him and then Portland would have a decision whether to match and all that. He’s only 22 so you’ve got to keep giving him opportunities for sure."

"The Blazers haven't always been willing to surrender Bayless, but they apparently had to make sure they had roster room to keep guard Patty Mills. Reason being: Word is Blazers owner Paul Allen is a h-u-g-e Mills fan and determined to see him stay." - Marc Stein in his Weekend Dime.

Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe writes...

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With reports circling about interest in fiery if disgruntled Portland guard Rudy Fernandez, Ainge acknowledged that he was pursuing trade options, though he wasn’t sure a deal would fall in place.

"We’re just continuing to explore available players and trade possibilities and see what sort of options are there,’’ said the Celtics president. "There are some trade discussions that we’re having. I don’t know the likelihood of those happening, but we’ll continue to not rush into something unless it’s something that we’re really excited about.’’
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Bumped to the front page. Thanks Nick Van Excellent.

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

"Before you accuse me of getting a bit batty with Nic, understand that this 21-year-old made 41 percent of his 3-pointers last season, coming through with double-figure scoring despite playing just half a game. Toss in the kid's good defense and (hopeful) ability to develop an NBA-level in-between game, and you could have a real comer for 2010-11."-Dwyer

"The Knicks are among the teams trying to acquire the Spanish shooting guard, and they have offered Wilson Chandler.

Other offers on the table include the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls each offering a No. 1 draft pick in 2011, a league source told ESPN.com."-Chris Sheridan

"In one of its proposals to Portland, sources said, Chicago has offered to absorb Fernandez's modest $1.25 salary for next season with cap space in exchange for a future first-round pick.

Sources say Portland, however, has believed that it can do better in a Fernandez deal and is holding out for more, even though New York also balked at the Blazers' demands this week and elected to sign Roger Mason to a bargain one-year deal at the veteran minimum of $1.4 million.

It’s widely assumed that the Blazers want Taj Gibson back from the Bulls, but sources say Chicago is not about to include Gibson in Fernandez talks. James Johnson is the best young player Chicago has made available."-Marc Stein

"Miller, an 11-year veteran of the NBA who graduated from Utah in 1999, is spending the week helping with Utah coach Jim Boylen's basketball camps."deseretnews

"Patrick Mills wants to stay in NBA and the chances the American guard will play in Roma next season are less. Now Lottomatica is interested in another player: Jeremy Pargo."-Sportando

"Last one: 3-teamer, gets CP3 to Rip City. Kinda like this one."

"A source tells Peter Vecsey of the New York Post that Knicks president Donnie Walsh "may possibly retire" within the week because of "health" and "a failure to land LeBron James".

According to Vecsey, former Portland general manager Kevin Prichard may be Walsh's replacement, if Walsh does in fact retire."

UPDATE:

"I am not retiring. I did have an operation on my neck which was successful, and I am continuing to work the offseason to improve our team"- Walsh

"His future with the Nuggets uncertain, executive vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien has requested permission to speak to teams around the league about front-office positions, multiple NBA sources said. It is still possible the Nuggets will retain Warkentien, but he has requested to speak with the Trail Blazers, Clippers and Suns, the sources said. Warkentien works alongside Rex Chapman, the Nuggets' vice president of player personnel. Both men have contracts that expire at summer's end. The fact Warkentien is shopping for a job could indicate Chapman's position is safe with the Nuggets."- Denver Post

-- Bumped To Front Page --

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

"When the circumstances turned against me, I lost my enthusiasm for this city. My lawyers have talked to the front office recently. Honestly, I do not want to go back to Toronto. My lawyers talked to Mr. Colangelo and I hope that they will come up with a solution soon."

"Earlier this week, the NBA had to own up to a missed call at the end of the Utah-Oklahoma City game, but that seems like small potatoes now. The league might have to apologize for all 48 minutes of Dallas’s 83-77 win over Portland."-Hollinger

"In the oldies but goodies category, Andre Miller (-3.50), Deron Williams (+1.18) and Raymond Felton (+2.07) continue to warrant mention as tough, no-nonsense guards who keep their man in front and follow the game plan. Miller is the most vulnerable of the three to penetration but also the best at playing off the ball and reading opponents' plays, helping explain yet another sterling on-court versus off-court differential."-Hollinger