As we near Thursday’s big day, let me reiterate what lies ahead for the Trail Blazers. This year the deadline offers a unique opportunity for Portland, in that so many owners are experiencing financial hardships both in their primary businesses and their NBA teams.

That leads to teams making deals merely to reduce payroll — which is very often a bad way to run a team. And it’s something that leads to some very unbalanced trades. The Blazers, sitting on RLEC (you know, Raef’s expiring contract) and a couple of players of value — Travis Outlaw and Sergio Rodriguez — they’re willing to deal, may have an opportunity to make a franchise-changing trade.

Or not.

Kevin Pritchard is being very picky here, which he should be. There isn’t going to be a deal made wherein the Blazers surrender that contract and a few players for just anyone. I think KP will pull the trigger for the player of his dreams, but otherwise, well, he’ll do nothing.

Dealing the RLEC would likely cause Portland to take back a nasty contract, one with long-term implications. The Blazers will soon have to extend the Roy and Aldridge deals and don’t want to get themselves fenced in by a nasty salary cap situation.

Paul Allen has been a great owner when it comes to taking on salaries if he sees a championship in the future. But it’s not fair to ask him to start going $80 million to $100 million in debt each season, either.

So with all that in mind, here are some odds to play around with on what’s likely to happen. And really, all we can do is throw a few names at the wall and see if anything sticks. Remember, too, this is for entertainment purposes only — please NO WAGERING!:

Even money: The Trail Blazers don’t find the deal they want and decide, for now, to hold onto RLEC. If they don’t move the contract, you could still see a minor move made but nothing that’s going to make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. I think this option is more likely than you might imagine. There is nothing wrong with saving that final bullet in your gun for a better shot later on.

2-1: A player you’ve never seen or heard in a previous trade conversation arrives. Come on, there’s no way any of us know what’s really out there for the Trail Blazers. Some organizations keep things quiet, you know. They’re not all the Phoenix Suns. These are the most fun deals. You acquire a player who you never thought would be available to you. Kind of like Pau Gasol going to the Lakers last season for practically nothing. That’s become the new gold standard for mid-season deals.

3-1: Richard Jefferson. This is the name that keeps coming up. He makes a lot of sense because he’s a team-oriented small forward who can do a little bit of everything and has deep playoff experience.

8-1: Kirk Hinrich. Makes a lot of sense if you want to shore up the perimeter defense. Reliable shooter who can defend. And he’s available. A Kansas guy, too. Problem is, I don’t see the point of investing in a long-term point-guard option if the team thinks Bayless is their guy.

10-1: Andre Miller. It seems likely he’ll be traded and the Blazers have always liked him.

10-1: John Salmons. A player who could help but who isn’t going to be a game changer. His name won’t send shockwaves through the city, either.

20-1: Jason Kidd. I know, a long shot. But there’s just something in the back of my mind about the guy coming here for a season or two and mentoring Jerryd Bayless while teaching this team the value of getting the ball into the post.

100-1: Amare Stoudemire. No chance, really. I don’t really believe Portland wants this player. Particularly not at the price being asked.

OK, that’s just a list of names. I don’t pretend to know any secrets at this point. I will say this, too: Don’t forget, if the Blazers go out and get a player, he’s got to be able to fit in — not only with the “culture” of the team, but the personalities and talent. The first question you want to ask about any new player of significance is this: Can he play with Brandon Roy? How does he fit with Brandon Roy?

I’m sure before any major deal is made that question will be asked to Brandon Roy, too.

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Over a period of months or even years, you hear names tossed around. But you never really know the level of interest. Here are a few players who may appeal to the Trail Blazers in the next three weeks as we near the trade deadline. Knowing Kevin Pritchard, though, if Portland does make a trade, it will probably be someone we haven’t even thought about. So here are a few names, out of left field, to add to the speculation:

Richard Jefferson, Milwaukee. Loads of playoff experience and still only 28 years old. A career 47 percent shooter who can get you 20 points and five rebounds a game at small forward. A tough guy who could provide leadership and scoring.

Andre Miller, Philadelphia. Still only 32 and not necessarily a prototype point guard. For years a miserable three-point shooter he’s improved a little this season. Always kills the Blazers — a smart player who can score and set people up. Plays bigger than he is.

Caron Butler, Washington. At 28, took a little longer than Jefferson to reach his peak. Not a great shooter, but a 20-point-per-game scorer with decent assist numbers for a small forward and a pretty good competitor who seems to improve each season.

John Salmons, Sacramento. A late bloomer at 29 whose career got off to a very slow start in Philadelphia. He’s turned into a pretty good scorer in Sacramento who is a little small at 6-6 to play small forward. Rumors out of Sacramento say the Blazers are interested but I couldn’t verify that.

The obvious chip the Blazers have to trade is the Raef LaFrentz contract. Above that, though, I would think they might be willing to finally send Travis Outlaw down the road. Man, even though he can score in bunches, he must drive the coaches crazy with his lack of attention on the boards and on defense.

One of those point guards has to go, too, and the obvious one is Sergio Rodriguez, although I believe the front office is terrified he’s going to go somewhere else and turn into a star.

My guess is, Portland wants more toughness. And toughness doesn’t necessarily have a position — so keep that in mind in your trade speculation. We all know David Lee, for example, doesn’t really fit here because of the makeup of the roster with all those bigs already on hand. But Lee’s ferocity fits — and that’s what the Blazers might be looking for.

The real challenge, if you deal Sergio or Travis, is to make sure you get something in return who is going to be a better player than the one you traded away. Both those players have enough upside potential to scare you a little bit about letting them go.

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On a rare night when Directv viewers got a game that a whole lot of other people in the area may not have been able to watch, some random thoughts after a wire-to-wire 112-98 Portland win over Sacramento:

Nicolas Batum: What I liked about him is that he continued to do his thing in spite of a poor shooting night. I mean, a year or two ago if Martell Webster went 2 for 9 from the floor, I don’t know that you’d see him grab eight rebounds. Batum is going to be a good player and don’t worry about his defense. Kevin Martin and John Salmons went nuts last night and the only person on the Blazer side of the court with a prayer of stopping either one of them was the guy in the turtleneck, Nate McMillan. And at his age, I think even Nate would struggle with the assignment. Man, Martin had 34 points on just 13 shots! He’s quickly becoming one of the top three or four offensive players in the league.

Travis Outlaw: He’s always been one of my favorite players but I’m kind of beginning to believe that when this team finally begins to cull the herd a little, trade some of its youngsters for a veteran presence, this is the guy most likely to go. In some ways, he doesn’t fit anymore. This entire team has become so proficient at moving the ball, playing unselfishly and being smart — ultimately that will be a big part of its identity. And I’m not sure Travis fits with that identity. Last season, he was needed on the second unit for his scoring but I’m not sure that’s the case this season. Rudy Fernandez is going to need shots and Channing Frye can score, too. Sergio is making open shots and penetrating – even Joel Przybilla seems improved at the offensive end. I just don’t know how well it will work for Travis to go off on his own in a clear-out situation on the right side, determined to get off a shot. And I’m not sure he’s going to be happy with fewer shots.

Brandon Roy: Only the players comfortable in their own abilities do what he does. The guy is a surveyor — he sits back and surveys what his team is doing, figures out from there what it needs, then provides it. He’s confident enough not to worry about his points and usually just makes sure everyone else gets off first. It’s a very rare skill, folks. Just watch the patience with which he operates. It’s amazing.

Greg Oden: Better. He was better and it was nice to see him up to 30 minutes. Sacramento isn’t much of a test for him, though, and it’s no accident his best games have come against the Kings, who are not going to be a good defensive team. Still, he ran better, passed better and hit most of his shots. And as Jerry Reynolds, whom I respect a lot, said during the broadcast, “We’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg, folks. And it’s a big iceberg.”

Steve Blake: If he stays healthy, he’s going to have a very good season. He makes the open 3 and has the intelligence to know what this team needs from him.

Sergio Rodriguez: I don’t know if it’s Rudy’s presence or just maturity but he’s really starting to figure it out. By the end of the season his trade value will be pretty high.

Rudy Fernandez: He’s going to suck up minutes from Outlaw and Rodriguez, no doubt about it. You just have to get him as many minutes as you can. There are going to be so many open shots because of the two big guys on the inside and this is the guy you’d like to see take as many of those open shots as possible.

LaMarcus Aldridge: I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s going to lead the team in scoring and maybe average more than 20 points per game. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him at the All-Star Game.

Overall: When they shoot well from the outside (and the Kings gave them so many open 3s Monday it wasn’t even a true test) they’re going to be dynamite. It was a good game for them — but against a team that’s really not going to be very good.

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