The Toronto Raptors have reportedly reached agreement on a contract extension with GM Bryan Colangelo. Posted by Ben Golliver. 

UPDATE: The National Post reports that Colangelo says he has " agreed in principle" to a "multi-year" extension with the Toronto Raptors. The team has also officially announced the signing.

The Toronto Raptors were awful in the first year of the post-Chris Bosh era, but that's not stopping the team from locking up its top basketball executive.

TheStar.com reports that Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo is about to receive a contract extension. 

The club’s president and general manager is closing in on a new multi-year deal to remain in charge of Toronto’s basketball operation, multiple NBA sources said Tuesday.

“It’s happening,” said one person with knowledge of the negotiations.

Colangelo, who previously worked for the Phoenix Suns, twice won the NBA's Executive of the Year award but has fallen on tougher times in recent years. 

The Raptors won just 22 games this season, missing the playoffs for the third straight season. Colangelo allowed Bosh to walk without receiving meaningful compensation in return and then had a hissy fit in the media, blasting Bosh for not playing through injury.
He also inked Andrea Bargnani to a big-dollar extension, a deal some have questioned due to Bargnani's weak rebounding and defense. 

Let's also not forget that Colangelo paid an exorbitant sum to sign Hedo Turkoglu in free agency and, after one failed season, quickly moved to undo that damage by shipping him to the Phoenix Suns.

His other big move this season was acquiring promising combo guard Jerryd Bayless, who continues to show flashes but probably isn't a franchise building block going forward. On the plus side, he has drafted two promising youngsters -- DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis -- but patience is a virtue in both cases.

Really, it's felt like Colangelo has been spinning his wheels for a few years now. With a weak draft this year, and three large contracts already on the books -- Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Leandro Barbosa -- Colangelo has his work cut out for him if he hopes to meaningfully improve this team next season.

Best of luck, Raptors fans.

Blake Griffin is a game changer, a fight in Portland, big nights for a familiar pair in two different cities, and a lot of questions circling in New Orleans about the future of the Hornets. Posted by Ben Golliver. 

Each game is made up of elements which help formulate the outcome. Monday through Friday, we'll bring you the elements from the night before's games in our own specialized version of the game recaps. It's not everything that happened, but it's an insight into what lead to the results you'll see in the box scores. This is the Game Changer.

THE BIG ONE: BLAKE GRIFFIN IS BEASTING

Normally, when we write in this space about a "game changer," we're talking about a single game. Today, we'll talk Blake Griffin, who is starting to demonstrate on a regular basis that he has the ability to change the entire NBA. Too big, too fast, too bouncy, too agile. He's everything at once, and more. As a rookie, Griffin is averaging 20.6 points and 11.8 assists through the first quarter of the season. He's been coming on as well, putting up 23.6 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists over the last 11 games. That production hasn't translated to many wins for a young Los Angeles Clippers, but there's no question that he's doing his part, throwing down ridiculous dunks, putting on absurd displays of athleticism on a nightly basis and guarding just about anyone his team asks him to, switching out on perimeter players in pick-and-roll situations without a second thought. The pre-game buzz on Sunday in Portland was that there was a potential all star power forward taking the court, and it wasn't LaMarcus Aldridge of the Blazers. Griffin indeed dominated the match-up, putting up 21 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals and just one turnover in 40 minutes of play. Most impressively, he got to the free throw line 16 times, fouling out Aldridge in the process (although he struggled to deliver at the stripe). Aldridge finished with four points, five rebounds, one assist, six fouls and just 2-10 shooting, a relative non-factor in his team's ability to finally end their six-game losing streak.   
Afterwards, Griffin didn't want to hear any all star potential talk, especially after the loss. "I don't know. No," he said in response to whether he's allowed the thought to enter his mind. "I'd much rather be on a winning team. I've got a lot of work to do before I get to that level." All star or not, Griffin is seeing his game progress after missing all of last season with an injury. "[My game] a lot better. I feel like I'm in a rhythm. Some games are better than others obviously. The key is just to limit those bad games and keep improving at the same." He also said his struggles at the free throw line -- he finished 7-16, and bent over while at the stripe, mad at himself -- are a point of emphasis. "It's frustrating whenever you miss free throws like that. The thing is I know I can make them, I've just got to do it." The Clippers dropped the game, but Griffin was glad to see how his teammates handled a chippy second half (video below), which included a flagrant foul 2 for his teammate Brian Cook and numerous technical fouls. "I thought we handled it well. We had guys stick up for our teammates. That's what you like to see. I just think you've got to keep that attitude, you can't let people punk us. I'm not saying that's what Portland was trying to do, but we can't back down from anybody." And really, Blake Griffin backs down from no one, because he's too busy sailing over the top of them.

GO-GO-GADGET LINE OF THE NIGHT:

Let's reunited these two for a night, for old time's sake.

Steve Nash: 20 points, three rebounds, 17 assists, two turnovers on 8-8 shooting in 30 minutes in a home win over the Washington Wizards.
Amar'e Stoudemire: 31 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, one steal, two turnovers on 12-24 shooting in 38 minutes in a road win over the Toronto Raptors. Runner-Up...

Stephen Curry : 39 points, one rebound, six assists, two steals on 14-20 shooting in 46 minutes in a road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

DON'T MISS:

• The New Orleans Hornets are being taken over by the NBA.
• Gary Chouest backed out.
• Will the Hornets relocate?
• Should Tyrus Thomas be getting more burn?
• Do the Blazers have any options besides Nate McMillan?

VIDEO CLIP MADNESS:

Here's a video look at the throwdown in Sunday night's game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers. Clippers big man Brian Cook shoves Blazers center Joel Przybilla out of the air during a dunk attempt at the rim, causing him to come crashing to the ground. A scuffle ensues, with Clippers guard Baron Davis and Nicolas Batum exchanging words and bumps. Przybilla and Clippers big man Craig Smith also went back and forth. Cook was issued a flagrant foul 2 and was immediately ejected. The other four were issued technical fouls.

 

The scene was very reminiscent of the exchange between the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards last week, which led to the ejection of Wizards center Hilton Armstrong.

WHIMSY:

The Raptors lost, but new guard Jerryd Bayless, acquired from a trade in New Orleans, is flying in to the rescue, here to provide excitement and hope. Bayless finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 27 minutes off the Raptors bench in a home loss to the New York Knicks.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

To add an insult on top of all the questions that are swirling about the franchise's future in New Orleans, the Hornets got trucked by the San Antonio Spurs, 109-84. Brutal day.

An analysis of the five-player trade between the Toronto Raptors and the New Orleans Hornets involving Peja Stojakovic, Jerryd Bayless, Jarrett   Jack, David Andersen and Marcus Banks. Posted by Ben Golliver.  According to multiple reports, and confirmed by CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Hornets have agreed to exchange five players via trade. Toronto will send guard Jarrett Jack, guard Marcus Banks and big man David Andersen to New Orleans for guard Jerryd Bayless, who was recently acquired in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, and forward Peja Stojakovic. New Orleans Hornets
Stojakovic and his giant expiring contract were bound to be traded this season, and this trade signals that Hornets were happy to just unload the salary and reduce their cap number to get further under the luxury tax without looking to acquire a big-dollar asset in return in a larger package deal. That's smart cap management. The Hornets, despite their fast start, are still working to establish a backcourt rotation around all star point guard Chris Paul. Compared to Bayless, Jack is more of a "Monty Williams Type" of player and prototypical third guard that can defend two positions, he brings a better all-around game, and strength and toughness off the bench. Right now, he's a better defender and a better play-maker than Bayless, he's more mature and he runs an offense better. In terms of keeping Paul happy and making a playoff push in the short-term, Jack is the guy over Bayless. To make that upgrade, New Orleans takes on Jack's contract that runs this year plus two more at roughly $5 million a year. It might be a bit more than he's worth, but he's a solid rotation guard so it's not terrible by any means. Banks is not an impact player, and the good news for the Hornets is that his $4.8 million contract expires this season, so he's likely out of sight and out of mind this summer unless he really impresses. David Andersen, a jump-shooting 7-footer from Australia, has battled the "soft" label so far throughout his NBA career, and in typical fashion the "soft" label has beaten him down. His contract runs through next season but is not fully guaranteed, so his long-term future in New Orleans is also questionable.  This trade is a good reminder that large expiring contracts are probably over-valued in the public mind. Here a $14 million expiring contract was outright dumped to facilitate a swap of back-up quality guards, and nothing more. Toronto Raptors The Raptors had been rumored to trade one of their point guards -- Jose Calderon or Jarrett Jack -- for months, because there wasn't room for both, but this seems like a strange, bad way to make that inevitable move. Stojakovich, for all intents and purposes, is done as an NBA player, so the main reason to trade for him would be to unload a massive contract by receiving his expiring deal. The Raptors didn't do that here, shedding only expiring and/or partially guaranteed contracts along with the future money owed to Jack, which wasn't all that significant. The best defense of this trade from Toronto's perspective is that they love the potential of Bayless, who is still waiting for the right opportunity to strut his lottery talent. But Bayless presents many of the same fit issues for Toronto that Jack did, as his skillset is not especially complementary to Calderon and fellow guard Leandro Barbosa.  Toronto needs defense in the backcourt, and Bayless is a downgrade from Jack in that department right now. The Raptors also need someone to help guide the development of promising wings DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems, and Bayless isn't known for his play-making or passing abilities. Like Barbosa, Bayless is best as a scorer off the dribble. How many of those guys do you need, especially when your centerpiece is a floor-stretching post man? Get ready, Raptors fans, to watch Bayless blow by his man to the glass as Andrea Bargnani stands at the free throw line with his hands up, wondering where the ball disappeared to.  The big upside regarding Bayless is his contract: he's still on his rookie deal and he has shown flashes of legitimate top-end talent and scoring ability, thanks to a solid first step and an ability to get to the free throw line. He'll have all the time in the world to reach his potential in Toronto, which has arguably the worst roster in the league before this trade, and just made it worse. The only way to salvage this deal is to create an environment where Bayless can really blossom, as his potential is the only on-court asset acquired. Therefore, you would hope Toronto has more moves coming in the immediate future, perhaps flipping Stojakovic's contract for a quality piece at the trade deadline, which could make this trade look totally different if it netted an impact piece.  You also have to wonder why the Raptors stuck with the highly-paid Jose Calderon over Jack. Perhaps his contract was too difficult to move.  Winners and Losers 

The winners are GM Dell Demps and his Hornets owners, from a financial perspective, and Jack for getting to leave a bad situation for a winning situation and a coach with whom he is familiar. The losers here are Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, who just moved a solid trade asset to downgrade at the position in the short term, and Jerryd Bayless, who goes from fighting for minutes in a crowded backcourt on two winning teams this year to fighting for minutes in a crowded backcourt on a terrible team.  NBA fans are also winners here because of this oddity: this trade marks the second time in 2.5 years that Jarrett Jack and Jerryd Bayless were exchanged for each other. On draft night 2008, the Indiana Pacers selected Bayless and traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jarrett Jack and the rights to Brandon Rush.

Trade being discussed to send Peja Stojakovic and Jerryd Bayless to Toronto for Jarrett Jack, David Andersen, Marcus Banks. Posted by Matt Moore

UPDATE 2:07PM: CBSSports.com confirms the trade is done, talks with the league will occur this afternoon. Bizarre.

Ken Berger confirms that the Hornets save $4.6 million immediately, which gets them off the cap and allows them to look at options at the deadline. The Raptors, in addition to getting Peja's expiring contract they can move before the deadline, save $4.7 million next year.

We'll have more analysis in a bit.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune , a bizarre Euro site via HoopsHype.com , and ESPN are reporting that the New Orleans Hornets are close to a trade that would send Peja Stojakovic and Jerryd Bayless to the Toronto Raptors for Jarrett Jack, Marcus Banks, and David Andersen. It is a baffling trade from about a hundred angles. We'll go over some of them here while the two fight over how much money the Hornets have to send the Raptors.

• The Hornets are 10-1, not exactly in need of a bump-up, and having Bayless as a change of speed, dynamic scorer off the bench was a good thing for them. Getting Jack gives them a veteran defender and solid backup point guard in a more traditional mold, but it also means they get a B+ point guard in salary and talent for a spot they only have about 15-20 minutes or less for a night due to them having the best point guard on the planet.

• Moving Peja right now means they lose the ability to swap him at the trade deadline, when his $14-million-plus expiring contract is likely to have more value than it does now. That kind of expiring change can help you fill in a lot of holes when teams decide they need to cut payroll dramatically. Teams will also know more about how the CBA talks are headed after the All-Star break. 

• For the Raptors, it's just as puzzling. Bayless is a terrific young talent and having Peja's expiring are both good things. But this puts Jose Calderon firmly in the starter's role for point guard, and he's a defensive sieve. They get smaller at the guard positions, and just try and imagine a Jerryd Bayless and Leandro Barbosa backcourt. They would represent the Lollipop Guild for crying out loud.

• As Bayless can't be moved until December 23rd, Bruce Arthur of the National Post reports via Twitter that the deal may be set up as one of those "agreed all together, executed in parts" type deals where the Raptors would use part of their Chris Bosh trade exception to acquire Bayless.

• Andersen's not a terrible center, he's really not in a league that has so few good ones, but he's redundant with Aaron Gray on the roster.

• Marcus Banks is barely alive in NBA terms.

• The Raptors will at least be fun to watch, and with Willie Green becoming the entrenched backup to Marco Bellinelli (who saw either of those things happening this year?), Bayless and Peja were expendable. This isn't really about losing vital assets for the Hornets, it's about not capitalizing on bigger opportunities. But at 10-1, I guess Dell Demps and Monty Williams have earned the right to bet with House money a bit. 

• ESPN also reports via Twitter that Jack is a close personal friend of CP3, which could explain this as a further move to make the superstar happy.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard Elliot Williams is "likely" done for the season after suffering a dislocated patella. Posted by Ben Golliver.  
It's Déjà vu all over again for the Portland Trail Blazers, as the organization announced today that reserve rookie guard Elliot Williams, the team's first round pick in the 2010 NBA draft, will undergo surgery on a dislocated patella and is "likely" done for the rest of the 2010-2011 regular season.  Last year, the Blazers lost both Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla to season-ending knee injuries. From a team release...

The injury occurred Wednesday, Nov. 3, during court conditioning drills at the team's Practice Facility. Williams will be re-evaluated after surgery but will likely miss the rest of the regular season.

Williams is a high-flying combo guard out of Memphis with loads of athletic potential. But he had not yet cracked the rotation in Portland's crowded backcourt, even after the Blazers traded Jerryd Bayless to the New Orleans Hornets.   A more natural fit at the two guard position, all star Brandon Roy and reserves Rudy Fernandez and Wesley Matthews make finding playing time impossible at that spot. With veteran point guard Andre Miller, surprising rookie Armon Johnson and the decision to keep end-of-the-bench point guard Patty Mills clogging up the point guard position too, Williams has been on the team's inactive list for much of the preseason. Williams has had previous issues with his right knee, suffering a bruise during a pre-draft workout with the San Antonio Spurs that led the Blazers to hold him out of the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League for precautionary reasons. While this injury is not disastrous for Portland this season, it's another log on top of the fire for those who believe the franchise is cursed with injuries.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie point guard turned some heads during his NBA debut against the Phoenix Suns. Here's everything you need to know about him boiled down in one place.
Posted by Ben Golliver. 

The Portland Trail Blazers have one of the most bizarre media coverage situations in the NBA. In Portland, they're under a microscope, often receiving the entire sports attention of local television, radio, internet, daily newspapers and alt-weeklies, enjoying perhaps the most obsessive coverage of any small-market team in the NBA. Nationally, thanks to their late-night start times and slow-down pace, plus zero televised games this preseason, the team has existed in a black hole. As such, even hoops die-hards like J.E. Skeets were left to joke that they had no idea who Blazers rookie point guard Armon Johnson was after his impressive NBA debut last night, when he tallied 6 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in 9 minutes of play and played his patented brand of chest-to-chest pressure defense. Given that TheRookieWall.com named Johnson "rookie of the night" on opening night, I figured it was a good time to get you caught up on the man they call "A.J."   Here are 10 essential Armon Johnson facts that you can use to impress women at the bar.

1. His first name is difficult to pronounce properly and he's a little sensitive about it, going so far as to explain the proper pronunciation to a press conference room full of reporters when he was announced to the media following the 2010 draft. There's a Jamaican-esque emphasis on the "Mon" after a soft r. It's pronounced "ar-MAHN," not "AR-mun."

1. Johnson originally hails from Chicago but was raised in Nevada, and he has known fellow Blazer rookie Luke Babbitt since elementary school. He graduated from Reno's Hug High School (seriously) and his affectionate off-the-court personality makes this detail feel like a major part of his persona.

1. Johnson was part of the most interesting pre-draft workout scene in Portland over the last three years. After his workout, Johnson was the only player to stick around afterwards to work on his jump shot with the team's shooting coach and hobnob with the team's scouts. Less than two hours after his workout finally ended, the Blazers sent millions of dollars to the Golden State Warriors to buy the right to switch second-round draft picks. The Blazers used that new pick, No. 34 overall, to draft Johnson.

1. Blazers scouts simultaneously adore Johnson and work aggressively to manage expectations for him. Perhaps this is a function of the point guard hype carousel that has gone on in recent years in Portland (a list of casualties: Sebastian Telfair, Jarrett Jack, Sergio Rodriguez, Jerryd Bayless). This summer, they saw his ceiling as an Eric Snow type of leader at the point guard position and, despite a strong preseason, they continue to hold to that as Johnson's ceiling.

1. The strengths of Johnson's game are his tenacity on defense, his overall quickness, his passing ability and his good size and strength.

1. The biggest weakness of Johnson's game is his jump shot. Denver point guard Ty Lawson set an NBA record by sagging 21 feet off of Johnson during a preseason game. Also, his aggressive defense and use of his hands will lead to a lot of perimeter foul calls this season. Lastly, while some opposing guards have yet to pick up on this, Johnson is left-handed and greatly favors his dominant hand when attacking the defense off the dribble or looking for his shot.

1. Why wasn't Johnson a first round pick? Two main reasons. First, his small-conference college team, Nevada, was off the map because they didn't make the NCAA tournament last year. It looked even worse because the Wolfpack had two NBA prospects in Johnson and Babbitt, and Johnson, as point guard, caught a lot of the blame for this lack of post-season success. Second, he shot just 23.9% from the college three-point line last year, leading to questions about how far that number would plummet at the NBA distance.

1. A Blazers assistant coach gushed that Johnson is "a left-handed Nate McMillan" after a Las Vegas Summer League game this year and Johnson's willing-to-do-anything hungriness has clearly endeared him to his new coach, who has been notoriously difficult on young point guards in the past.

1. Johnson figures to carve out a nice role for himself in Portland's rotation this year, as the team's second unit is stocked with shooters like Rudy Fernandez and Wesley Matthews, who can make up for Johnson's lack of range. Another factor playing in Johnson's favor is that McMillan will likely lean heavily on Matthews to close games alongside Brandon Roy in the backcourt. Using Johnson to tire the opposing team's point guard seems like a smart strategic move to make life easier on Matthews and Roy, neither of whom are true point guards.

1. The final question for any point guard in Portland is: "Does he have Brandon Roy's endorsement?" Even an established veteran like Andre Miller hasn't been able to escape that one. Roy liked what he saw last night. "Armon gave us 10 minutes. A really good 10 minutes. It gave us a chance to come in and finish that game. Armon did a wonderful job this preseason working every day to get better, watching a lot of film, and he showed it out there. He showed what he's been working on. That wasn't a fluke."

Rejoice! The NBA season starts tomorrow. As the league's 30 teams make final cuts and set their rosters, here's a first look around the NBA at this week's happenings. Magic talks contraction, Delonte dances, Steve Nash gripes, Jeff Green stays focused, Shelden Williams and Jason Terry start, plus a whole lot more.  
Posted by Ben Golliver. 

• Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson tells NaplesNews.com he would be in favor of contraction in the NBA. “How much would it hurt the league if we lost teams? It wouldn’t hurt it. It might make it better,” Johnson said. “… I think if you take away a couple teams, the talent level goes up and the league will only benefit, so I don’t see a problem with that. We just hope that we put a good product out on the court, and that’s the key.”

• HoopsNotes.com found video of Celtics Delonte West and Glen Davis dancing at the team's annual Shamrock Gala.

• John Hollinger writes that Portland's trade of Jerryd Bayless for a first round pick gives them a solid asset to include in a package trade for a big name.

• Phoenix Suns all star point guard Steve Nash tells Seth Pollack of SB Nation Arizona that he wouldn't bet on the Suns to make the playoffs in the Western Conference and that the team has chemistry question marks. "To be honest, if I was outside this picture and a betting man, I would probably pick us to be outside of the playoffs considering all the changes and the new guys."

• Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes  that perennial sixth man of the year candidate Jason Terry will open the season starting for the Mavericks. "Terry started at shooting guard Friday in a 97-96 win over Houston in the preseason finale. Coach Rick Carlisle has kept a tight lip on who will start the opener against Charlotte. But it appears Terry has the inside track, at least until Roddy Beaubois returns from left foot surgery."

• Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports that Shelden Williams, aka Mr. Candace Parker, will start at power forward for the Denver Nuggets to open the season, as Kenyon Martin and free agent acquisition Al Harrington get healthy.

• It's a contract year for both forward Jeff Green and guard Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, but Thunder coach Scott Brooks tells Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman that he's not worried about Green putting his own interests above the team. "Maybe because I know him,” Brooks said. "I know who he was when he came into the league, and he hasn't changed. He still works every day in practice. He still tries to get better. He still tries to make the right play. He's not forcing shots. He's not taking bad shots … He hasn't forced anything in camp. He's a pro and he likes being on this team.”

• ESPN.com's Michael Wallace quotes LeBron James on Celtics fans in advance of tomorrow's season opener between Boston and Miami. "They bleed green; that’s all they care about,” James said. “We have to be mentally focused and mentally prepared. Some arenas believe and love basketball more than others. Sometimes, more history adds more intimidation. Not saying it’s an intimidation factor for me. It’s never been an intimidation factor for me. But as far as the crowd and as far as the team, Boston is one of those hostile environments to play.” 
• Minnesota Timberwolves wing Martell Webster, acquired in a draft night trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, will find out if he needs surgery on an ailing back today. Jerry Zgoda of StarTribune.com quotes Webster: "It's just one of those things that starts to nag and you don't want to make it worse."

• Posting and Toasting.com writes  that Patrick Ewing Jr. was cut by the New York Knicks; Shawne Williams surprised some people by apparently making that team.

The Portland Trail Blazers have reportedly traded guard Jerryd Bayless to the New Orleans Hornets for a future first-round draft pick. Posted by Ben Golliver.   
Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported that the Portland Trail Blazers have traded guard Jerryd Bayless to the New Orleans Hornets for a future first-round pick.

The Portland Trail Blazers have found a trade to create some extra roster room, agreeing Saturday to deal guard Jerryd Bayless to the New Orleans Hornets for a conditional future first-round pick, according to sources close to the situation.

Sources tell CBSSports.com Saturday evening that the trade has gone official and the pick that Portland is set to receive is top-7 protected in 2011 and top-8 protected in 2012, 2013 and 2014. After that, it would turn into two second-round picks in 2015 and 2016. The Blazers also receive a trade exception worth nearly $2.3 million. Because the Blazers are currently luxury tax payers, the move saves the team roughly $4.6 million.  Bayless is entering the third year of his NBA career and, while showing flashes of sensational athleticism, has never found a defined role in Portland's backcourt. A prototypical score-first combo guard, Bayless has had trouble running an offense and defending without fouling. For New Orleans this is a move that makes them better in the short term, as it fortifies their backcourt depth, which took a hit when they traded reserve point guard Darren Collison to Indiana this summer. Bayless should be able to play both off the ball alongside all star point guard Chris Paul and behind him in a reserve point guard role. Bayless is familiar with New Orleans's new head coach, Monty Williams, who was an assistant in Portland for Bayless's first two seasons. For Portland, the move frees up a roster spot. The Blazers had 17 players under contract prior to the trade. Now, Portland is down to 16 players and, if they waive injured big man Jeff Pendergraph as expected, can retain the rights to Australian guard Patty Mills and still meet the league's 15 man roster maximum or they can waive Mills and carry 14 players.