Here's my summary of the Haynes interview on 1080. As @yuyuza1 said, it's full of speculation.
D&S: Why would they be scared of losing one of the UFA's for Howard?
Haynes: Injury history (Back, knee), and then character. Don't know for a fact, but that was probably an issue. I do know for a fact that character has been a major concern for Olshey since he joined the Blazers, primarily after the Felton/Crawford era, and then the Jailblazers prior to that.
D&S: You wrote about Festus practicing then shutting it down. You say some in the org are puzzled by that move. did he decide that independently?
Haynes: Caught org by surprise. He feels he needs to get this done, but he has practiced and players say he looked good and had no swelling. The org saw no setbacks or signs, but then all of a sudden he's shutting himself down. They knew he was a gamble, but they thought he'd play 55 games.
D&S: How concerned should fans be about the team's chemistry?
Haynes: I don't think they should be concerned. Festus isn't playing, so that little riff w/CJ isn't a problem. The guys who are playing are tight, Dame's a great leader. The Festus element has been puzzling, a nuisance, but the chemistry overall is good.
D&S: You mentioned that Noel and Cousins aren't on Olshey's radar. Does that surprise you with Portland's interior struggles?
Haynes: No, because as I mentioned, Olshey cares about character. This team is very young, so they ahve to be very diligent about who they add to the locker room. But if they want to bring in a big piece, CJ's going to have to be included. And would that deal put you at the SA/GSW level? I don't think it does.
D&S: You mention the Dame/CJ part. How bad would it need to go before the FO considers breaking up Dame/CJ?
Haynes: If they're still outside the top 8 when approaching the deadline, I think you have to consider it, even with guys of questionable character. But I didn't get the sense that they're in any rush to make any move because they don't have the sense that any deal will elevate them to contender status.
D&S: Do they regret not signing Rolo?
Haynes: You have to look at that. I don't know. You also have to look at the Will Barton trade. You can make the case that he's better than Turner. You can look at moves that seem like they didn't work. I bashed the Turner signing. But these are the players that they have.
D&S: Team is young, but Dame is the leader. At some point, don't you need to trust the leaders in the locker room to be able to be a positive influence on a player of questionable character?
Haynes: At a certain time, but I don't know if that time is now. Dame is developing into a solid leader, but I don't know if you'd put him as one of the top leaders in this league. He's a leader, but I wouldn't really consider him a veteran. So as far as moves go, you're probably not looking at anything more than a minor move this season.
