John Canzano of The Oregonian wonders whether the Portland Trail Blazers' front office is equipped and prepared to make best use of their flexibility during the upcoming summer free agency period. ------------------------------ I know Portland outdueled Sacramento for free agent Jamal Crawford in the preseason, but that was a junior varsity level competition compared to what will stand between the Blazers and what they'll covet next summer. What then? What happens when you're up against a formidable adversary, with a key player in the balance? The Knicks and Clippers are going throttle-open in pursuit of Smith. Portland, being a small market team, will need to work harder and be smarter than those they battle against. The Blazers would love to woo Gerald Wallace into exercising his one-year player option instead of turning unrestricted free agent in June, but who does the sweet-talking? Crawford is a free agent. Who makes the promises of playing time? The Blazers need a center to replace Marcus Camby. Who meets that player's plane at the airport? ------------------------------ -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter