Say this much for the Portland Trail Blazers: At least they are persistent.

	Anderson had his finest season, until getting hurt in the playoffs.

OK, I admit, I was the one last year who believed in the Blazers, who understood what Bob Whitsitt was doing, who thought that too much talent is never a bad thing, who figured that eventually they would come together as a team and repeat the run they made two seasons ago, when they advanced to the seventh game of the Western Conference Finals before imploding on themselves. But it didn't work.

And I'm not convinced that it will.

Granted, getting the young and athletic Derek Anderson in a sign-and-trade deal for the old and creaky Steve Smith may be the coup of the off-season.

OK, actually convincing Chris Webber that $123 million, even in Sacramento, is not such a bad thing, is the coup of the summer.

But the Anderson signing is a close second -- for any of the other 28 teams in the NBA.

Not for this Blazers team, a team that needs addition by subtraction.

Instead, it seems, the Blazers get sedition by addition. Or, perhaps more accurately, perdition by addition. Whatever it is, it can't be good.

	Wells

	Smith

I mean, at least with Smith on the team, the coaches could make a reasonable argument that they needed Bonzi Wells to start in the interest of player development, bringing along the young guy.

Now what? How do you explain to either one of the shooting guards, Wells or Anderson, that they need to take a backup role to the other?

Anderson left the Spurs ostensibly because he did not get the respect from them he felt he deserved.

And now? Now he is going to a team that has an up-and-coming shooting guard in Wells. What happens when Mo Cheeks tells Anderson he can't get the minutes he wants because Wells is standing in the way? You think Anderson won't take that as a sign of disrespect?

Or, play it the other way, if you like. Wells has to take a seat on the bench -- mind you, after winning the starting role last season -- and allow the new kid on chopping block to get his time.

Well, first of all, Wells is not happy. Guaranteed. And you know who his best friend on the team is? Rasheed Wallace.

	Rasheed

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Rasheed was pissed off at his first birthday party because he didn't get enough candles. You think he is not going to be a little upset if his best friend gets the shaft, so to speak? Speaking of combustible, did you see what happened at the Salt Lake City Revue, the summer league held in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains? Erick Barkley, who is being groomed to back up Damon Stoudamire at point guard, is out on the court going against rookie Omar Cook, another St. Johnnie.

The two get into it, pushing, shoving, whatever happens when a guy is trying to win a spot and impress his new coach.

Well, that's all well and good, but then Barkley decides after the game to chase Cook into the locker room and tries to fight him there. Cheeks had to grab Barkley and restrain him, later attributing it to youthful exuberance. That's just what the Blazers need. A little more "youthful exuberance." Barkley should really be a stabilizing force, a floor general, if you will.

Just like Napoleon.

There must be something in the water in Salt Lake -- well, besides salt, that is -- because just down the street from Barkley's antics, Officer Olden Polynice apparently was getting into some fisticuffs on a local golf course. According to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune, OOP went back to a hole to pick up a scorecard he left behind, a guy in the foursome behind him hit him with a chip shot -- maybe he though OOP was the flagstick -- and OOP allegedly beat up the guy, then spit on him as he lay on the ground.

Where do I start with this one? Well, first, why did OOP opt out of a contract and become a free agent, when he clearly should be fairly happy with what he has at this point in his career?

Secondly, if you are going to opt out and hope to re-sign, don't you want to be on your best behavior while you happen to not have a contract?

Third, no, it was not Greg Ostertag that hit OOP with the chip shot and allegedly got beat up and spit on. And I don't know if OOP is a better golfer than a free throw shooter, but knowing OOP, I'd guess that he says he's a 2 handicap, and he doesn't use the foot wedge.

And finally, the Salt Lake Tribune did not report this, but my own sources tell me that the guy who allegedly got beat up and spit on then got on his cell phone and called the cops, at which point Officer Olden arrested himself. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I hate to seem like I'm dumping all over the Blazers, but I don't completely understand the direction they are taking. They dealt Greg Anthony to Chicago and they let Stacey Augmon sign with Charlotte -- both of whom, by the way, came back and said their experience in Portland was a nightmare, so we are not making this stuff up.

But those are not the guys the Blazers need to be shuffling. They are ancillary players, not the ones who are causing a stir.

	Pippen

The ones creating the problems are Scottie Pippen and Dale Davis and Shawn Kemp and Rasheed, guys who are demanding more shots or more time or are unhappy with their teammates for some reason.

I guess, in a way, dealing Anthony and letting Augmon go and letting Detlef Schremp retire and picking up good-guy Steve Kerr in the Anderson deal defines roles a little more clearly, but not as much as some other major moves would.

But the Blazers, like every other team around the league, are being hamstrung by the luxury tax, and they are unable to trade a player with an exorbitant contract -- especially one that is either a) aging or b) in drug rehab, all of which seems to apply to them.

There are rumors in the undercurrent still, that maybe the Blazers will be able to swing a three-way deal that would bring Gary Payton from Seattle, and Wells may be included in such a deal -- but Seattle certainly is loathe to deal its franchise player less than 200 miles away, where he surely could still be heard.

In any case, it appears the Blazers are going to remain for the most part intact, and Whitsitt is simply hoping that Mo can smile and learn to turn the other Cheeks.

Frank Hughes covers the NBA for the Tacoma (Wash.) News-Tribune. He is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.