Mason Plumlee and the Portland Trail Blazers are unlikely to agree upon an extension before the deadline.

Plumlee and the Blazers aren't currently engaged in talks.

The Blazers had Meyers Leonard, Allen Crabbe and Maurice Harkless hit restricted free agency last offseason and retained all three. Portland has depth at center with Leonard and Festus Ezeli in addition to Plumlee.

The Portland Trail Blazers have exercised the fourth-year contract options on forward Noah Vonleh and guard Shabazz Napier.

Vonleh, 21, posted averages of 3.6 points (42.1% FG, 74.5% FT), 3.9 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 15.1 minutes in 78 games (56 starts) last season with the Trail Blazers after being acquired from the Charlotte Hornets on June 24, 2015. Vonleh was the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft.

Acquired on July 7 from the Orlando Magic in exchange for cash considerations, Napier, 24, has averaged 4.4 points (36.1% FG, 34.7% 3-PT, 76.2% FT), 1.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 15.2 minutes over two seasons with the Miami Heat and Orlando. Napier was originally selected as the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft.

The Portland Trail Blazers are unsure who will start at small forward as they have three candidates in Moe Harkless, Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe.

"I will have a decision by Oct. 25," said Terry Stotts. "They're all playing well."

Harkless has played the best and seems to have the best on-court chemistry with the rest of the Blazers' starting five

Harkless' defensive versatility is potentially difference-making.

Bringing Turner off the bench gives the Blazers at least two ball-handlers and playmakers on the court at all times as he can stagger his minutes with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

Lillard praised all three players but essentially lobbied for Harkless.

"Moe ... just makes us versatile," Lillard said. "Being able to rebound the ball and push it, knock down threes, he can guard a bunch of positions, he changes the game in a different way. And I think he's been very good for us, from the end of the season all the way to now. He's kind of gained steam and he looks good. He's fitting in perfect."

The Portland Trail Blazers have waived Luis Montero.

Signed as an undrafted free agent on July 9, 2015, Montero played in 12 games for the Trail Blazers as a rookie in 2015-16, averaging 1.2 points (26.3% FG, 11.1% 3-PT, 75.0% FT), 0.3 rebounds and 0.1 assists.

During the 2016 NBA preseason, Montero recorded three points (1-1 3-PT), one assist and one block in his lone contest against Utah on Oct. 3.

Damian Lillard is looking forward to playing without the ball this season.

The Portland Trail Blazers signed Evan Turner in free agency in a move that some questioned but he gives the team another playmaker with the ball in addition to Lillard and CJ McCollum.

“We didn’t come into the game and say ‘Alright Dame, you don’t handle the ball that much,’” said Lillard after Monday night’s victory. “It’s been all month we’ve been playing, I’ve been getting off the ball, just trying to get out of the sight of the defense so much. Come off pindowns, coming off flare screens, just not having the defense focus on me with the ball in my hand. Just trying to get high quality looks and be in a different position offensively because we have that luxury. That’s all it was. I’ve been doing it over the last month so I’m just more comfortable with it now. So in the game, it naturally happened.”

Lillard would sometimes shift to the shooting guard position with second unit point guards in the past.

“Back then, it was for four minutes or five minutes because we was dropping the ball into (LaMarcus Aldridge) and was playing off of that,” said Lillard of his previous ties playing without the ball in his hands. “Now it’s going to be primarily on the perimeter, so we’re going to be moving the ball around penetrating, kicking, flare screens, pindowns instead of it being throw it to the block and then we screen away action just to keep the defense off of (Aldridge). Now it’s going to be real live action. It’s the same but it’s a different thing.”

Lillard realizes he will be able to still score with frequency without the ball and it may increase his efficiency. 

“I think over the course of the game I’ll get high quality shots, I’ll be able to get better looks,” said Lillard of playing more frequently off the ball. “We’ve got sets now that compliment the roster that we have where I don’t have to have the ball and I don’t have to beat two defenders all the time. Sometimes the offense is putting the defense in position where it’s me and the big or my man gets left on an island and there’s a better opportunity for me. I’m excited about that.”

Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux), David Locke of the Utah Jazz and Locked on Podcast Network (@Lockedonsports) and Adam Mares of Denver Stiffs (@Adam_Mares) break down the Northwest Division.

In the offseason review, they pick who got better and worse, discuss notable moves (17:29), choose the Northwest’s best newcomer (34:03) and pick the rookies they are most excited to see (42:16).

In the season preview, they rank the teams 1-5 (50:58), predict how many playoff teams will come out of the division (1:08:41), choose breakout players (1:10:30) and much more.

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Damian Lillard has ruled out ever joining a super team in free agency.

Lillard won't hit free agency until 2021 at the earliest.

“I really don’t care about the chance they give us," said Lillard. "If somebody wants to go join people and do that then it’s not against the rules. They can do it. It’s just more pressure to win when you do it. Some people say, ‘Oh, they’re just joining up. They have to do this to win it.’ But we play the game to win it, so when people do it, that’s their decision.

“I wouldn’t do it. That’s just not who I am. I might just have too much pride for that or be too much of a competitor where I couldn’t bring myself to do it. But it also makes it more fun. You get to take a monster down, and that’s always fun.”