inconsistent

W ith two minutes to go before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard ordered the rest of his staff, "Pencils down!" He left his office and walked past curious players, across the courts at the practice facility --directly to coach Nate McMillan.

The GM informed his coach that nothing happened.

I'm thinking Pritchard addressed the wrong guy.

Because small forward Travis Outlaw was shooting jump shots at the other end of the court, and it's Outlaw and Outlaw alone who has the opportunity to do what a trade could not --he has the ability to make the Blazers better right now. And so maybe it's time for Pritchard to give the "Hurry up and make a difference" message to Outlaw.

You listening, Outlaw?

We've spent the last week talking about what Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and Gerald Wallace could do for the Blazers. We've kicked around the possibilities. We've wondered if the Lakers, Hornets and Spurs weren't feeling more vulnerable than anyone had anticipated.

I gave up on Outlaw as the solution at small forward. You gave up on Outlaw. But the franchise didn't give up on him, or couldn't, given the trade offers. And what becomes most apparent today is that Outlaw has one last opportunity to change minds, and open possibilities, and help take the Blazers somewhere greater.

Portland will have $6 million in salary cap space this summer. This allows the Blazers to operate and make trades without having to match salaries. Right now, the team's biggest need is a starting small forward, then, maybe, point guard. And with Nicolas Batum being so young, and so good defensively, and with Raef LaFrentz's contract officially off the market, it's sixth man Outlaw (who will make $3.6 million in 2009-10) who becomes the team's attractive summer trade bait.

Outlaw's moment of truth has arrived.

I had a long conversation a year ago with Outlaw while on the road. He approached me, sat down and asked what I thought of his game. I told him, with some hard work and growth, I thought he could play for a long time in the NBA. And he snapped back, "I don't just want to play.

"I want to be an All-Star."

He is not an All-Star. He's not even starting for the Blazers. He's been inconsistent. He shows a lack of dedication to defense and rebounding, at times. And Thursday, as Outlaw said, "I was a little worried," when it came to the deadline, I reminded him of our conversation.

He said, "I still want to be great. I still want to do it."

So go be great, kid. Do it. For yourself. For your team. For all who believed in you when it became apparent that the rest of us were losing patience. Because you're one of the best athletes in the league. And you have moments that are brilliant. And so the goal becomes to make those moments become more frequent and force the Blazers and everyone else to view you as the long-term solution alongside Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden.

Outlaw said he wasn't fretting too badly about being traded away at the deadline. He said, "I knew I'd have a job somewhere in the NBA." I suppose that's right. But we all know how delicate a career in sports is, especially for a team that has sold out 52 consecutive games and feels headed somewhere grander. Especially for a player who has had ample time and opportunity.

"I need to rebound better," Outlaw said. "I need to work on my game."

We've heard it before.

Now, it's time to get it done. And get it done with consistency. There are only 29 regular-season games left. After that, maybe playoffs. And then, Outlaw is either part of the long-term solution or an expendable summer asset that would be attractive to some NBA team looking for a decent value.

So which is it?

He understands this. His teammates understand it. And you'd better believe the Blazers front office understands it, because when you eyeball that $6 million in cap space, it's Outlaw who immediately comes to mind as trade bait. Outlaw is especially vulnerable with Martell Webster healing.

I know there's disappointment from fans today because the Blazers didn't trade the LaFrentz contract, and didn't immediately make the team a serious playoff contender. But I suppose the only thing better than trading for a front-line small forward would be doing nothing rash and seeing Outlaw decide to rectify the problem on his own.

I'm tired of talking about Outlaw's potential. I'm sure he's tired of hearing about it. The droning about patience for Outlaw has become the lazy fallback position for too many smart people in the organization. So what we have here is the perfect time for Outlaw to do what a trade might have done.

Hurry up and find yourself, kid.

John Canzano: 503-294-5065;

JohnCanzano@aol.com

Read his blog at

oregonlive.com/canzano.

Catch him on the radio on

The Bald-Faced Truth, 3-6 p.m.

weekdays on KXTG (95.5).