Blazing a new trail

Days of poor spending, rash decisions are over in Portland

Things are changing in Portland. The proof is in the silence. While other teams are red-eyeing across the land in a bidding war for free agents, the Trail Blazers are spending the holiday weekend on their front porch getting to know one another better and reckoning on their problems.

Their behavior is as patient as ice melting in a pitcher of lemonade. Will they sign Gary Payton? Trade Rasheed Wallace? Shed salaries in a blockbuster deal for Minnesota's Terrell Brandon? There are no answers ... because the Blazers have yet to hire the general manager who will make these decisions, though it's been two months since Bob Whitsitt announced his resignation.

At first, owner Paul Allen appeared too insulated and out of touch to decide on Whitsitt's replacement. If the franchise appeared incompetent then, it is stubborn now in its refusal to hurry forth -- adamant to follow its own timetable and make smart, long-term decisions that will transform the club.

Whitsitt knew that the team needed change. The Blazers' payroll bloated to an NBA-record $105 million last season -- incurring an additional luxury-tax penalty anticipated at $50 million -- in part because Whitsitt was burning the midnight oil, running the Seahawks, two arenas and several other companies for Allen. Whitsitt was vilified in Portland for being so arrogant as to believe that he could operate the Blazers from his home in Seattle, but Whitsitt wasn't blind to the problem of absentee leadership. In a recent conversation at the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago, he openly admitted that he was too busy to fully satisfy the needs of the Portland franchise.

Allen and new team president Steve Patterson are promising that the Blazers will acquire players who will blend together and be held to a high standard of behavior. Portland is committed to a payroll of $80 million next season (though almost 20 percent of it -- $14.7 million -- will go to Shawn Kemp, whose salary will come off the team's cap after the coming season). Yet the Blazers have only 10 players on their roster (including first-round pick Travis Outlaw) and must decide whether to re-sign or replace free agents Scottie Pippen, Antonio Daniels and Arvydas Sabonis, whose $7 million contract is not guaranteed.

Apart from acquiring inexpensive role players to improve team chemistry, Portland might be able to package Bonzi Wells (whose $7 million salary isn't onerous), Zach Randolph ($1.2 million) and Wallace, who is attractive because his $17 million will come off the cap when his contract expires next summer. On the other hand, the Blazers could simply hold onto their players and let their contracts run out in order to slash payroll. All but $16 million of Portland's current salaries will expire after the 2005-06 season.

"The company needs discipline in all facets," says Patterson. The days of big spending across the board are over. From now on, Allen will spend big money only for the rare star capable of bringing a championship to Portland.

Patterson says he will assert the new fiscal realities by not instantly extending the contract of coach Maurice Cheeks, who was recently denied permission to interview with the 76ers. Cheeks has two years remaining on his deal, but can be bought out of the second year for a mere $300,000. "The club is not going to have the same kind of extravagance as in the past," Patterson says. "Paul has said we'll get through this year and then start discussing an extension with Maurice at that point in time."

Patterson, a longtime executive with the Rockets, helped assemble Houston's championship teams of the mid-1990s. While he will weigh in on major basketball decisions for the Blazers, Patterson does not anticipate making scouting trips or being heavily involved on the basketball side. Unless Allen directs him to take on a greater role, he insists that he will leave player evaluation to the new GM, who should be hired within the next two weeks.

Patterson dismisses reports that he was unhappy with assistant GM Mark Warkentien for promising to draft Outlaw, a high school forward, with the 23rd pick. Outlaw's agent, Bill Duffy, also denies rumors that Portland tried to back away from its pick after Patterson was hired. "The first time I saw tape of Travis Outlaw was at 10:30 on the night before the draft," Patterson says. "This team has a record of drafting well over the years, and it would be the height of hypocrisy for me to come in 24 hours before the draft and try to change the decision-making process."

Senior writer Ian Thomsen covers the NBA beat for Sports Illustrated. He is a regular contributor to SI.com.

 

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