Back For the Future... A Time Travel Shoe Story

As the owners and players have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, there has been no formal movement on the two topics that have dominated the talks, split of revenues and the cap system. The owners could make a formal proposal on Tuesday, which would be the first in the negotiations since players added a sixth year to their proposal on June 30th. "The reality is, until one side or the other is ready to make significant movement, nothing is going to happen," one of the people briefed on the talks said. Via RealGM and CBS Sports

This was one of my favorite pieces to write.Here's a look at a whirlwind yearfor former Portland Trail Blazers forward Shavlik Randolph, who went to training camp with LeBron James and the Miami Heat, rehabilitated in Vail, Colorado with Blazers center Greg Oden and was playing professionally in Puerto Rico when former NBA player Robert Traylor was found dead of a heart attack.As noted last night, Randolph is now weighing a one-year contract offer to play professionally in China. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

Brother Wendell Maxey, now living in Germany, caught up with Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum at EuroBasket in Lithuania fora strong featureonNBA.com. ----------------------------- "I signed quickly with Nancy because I didn't want the focus to be on if or when I was going to play overseas. I wanted the focus to be on the National Team," said Batum, who played for Le Mans Sarthe Basket in France from 2006-08 before jumping to the NBA. ... "It's hard because in the past there have been so many changes on the team, but this year I think we'll find some stability, even though we have a new point guard in [Raymond] Felton," said Batum of point guard Andre Miller's departure. "But aside from that move, we've kept the same players and have a good rotation. We know how to play together," Batum said. "Maybe it will be different. If we have a nasty Greg Oden, we can make some great things happen in Portland." ----------------------------- -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

Highlights from Pattys game one in the Olympic qualifier vs New Zealand. Patty came off the boombers 84-62 win in game 2 last night with a stat line of 9 points 5 assists, 2 rebounds and turnover. Australia have locked in their spot for the 2012 London Olympic games.

Suns President and Chief Executive Officer is stepping down from his post after running the business side of the franchise for nine years. Welts became the first openly gay senior executive of a professional sports team four months ago. Welts told The Arizona Republic Friday morning that he is not leaving for another job but to be in another city. Welts' partner is based in Sacramento. "The most important thing for me is to get my personal and professional lives better aligned," Welts said. "They've probably never been aligned. I'm 58 years old and it's time to do that. This isn't one of those departures to see greener pastures. It really is completely a personal situation. These guys have been tremendously accommodating and any other inference than that is absolutely crazy." Could he be a good GM for Portland?

Former Portland Trail Blazers forward Shavlik Randolph tells Blazersedge that he is in the "advanced stages" of negotiating a one-year contract to play in China this season. A deal is "very close" and Randolph expects to make a final decision "within a week." The deal would pay Randolph "equal to or greater than" the NBA's veteran minimum salary. Randolph attended 2010 training camp with the Miami Heat but was released by the team prior to the beginning of the regular season. More coming on Saturday including Randolph's thoughts on Blazers center Greg Oden -- with whom he recently rehabbed in Vail, Colorado -- and Blazers guard Raymond Felton, with whom he has scrimmaged against this summer back in North Carolina. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

And get yourself a nifty piece of property in the bargain. Now half off! --Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Marc SteinofESPN.com reportslate Thursday night that there are two additional names to add to the list of executives in the running to be the next GM of the Portland Trail Blazers: Cleveland Cavaliers VP of Basketball Operations David Griffin and Los Angeles Clippers VP of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey. -------------------------- Sources say Griffin has interviewed with the Blazers as well. Griffin just completed his first season in Cleveland after a long career with the Phoenix Suns that saw him rise from an intern in the media department to the head of the front office in three different Suns administrations alongside Bryan Colangelo, Mike D’Antoni and Steve Kerr. Olshey has been the Clippers’ general manager since March 9, 2010, replacing the ousted Mike Dunleavy after joining the organization as director of player personnel in 2003-04 and eventually serving as Dunleavy’s top aide. Olshey’s contract with the Clippers, however, only runs through October 2011. -------------------------- On Thursday morning, Blazers president Larry Miller again refused to comment in any way, shape or form on the search process through a spokesperson. "[There is] no update," the spokesperson said. "Out of respect for the process and people [Miller] prefers to not play it out publicly. We aren't discussing the process or people at this time." Last Friday,Adrian WojnarowskiofYahoo! Sports reportedthat Oklahoma City Thunder executive Troy Weaver, San Antonio Spurs executive Dennis Lindsey and former Golden State Warriors executive Chris Mullin are potential candidates. Both Griffin and Mullincame up as potential candidates last summerbefore the Blazers opted to hire Rich Cho, who was abruptly fired in May. Back in June 2010, before he was hired by the Cavaliers, I called Griffin a "name to watch." -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

Courtesy ofSam AmickofSI.comonTwitter, here'sa full roster球员的计划参加即将到来的Las Vegas "Lockout League" at Impact Basketball. --------------------- Current Portland Trail Blazers listed: Armon Johnson, Wesley Matthews. Former Blazers listed: Jerryd Bayless, Channing Frye, Jermaine O'Neal, Zach Randolph, Sebastian Telfair, Martell Webster, Bonzi Wells. --------------------- Word of Johnson's participation came outearlier this week. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter