The next six exhibition games and 20 days will go a long way toward deciding the NBA futures of Luke Babbitt, Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams.

The Trail Blazers have until Oct. 31 to exercise team options on the trio of players and keep them in Portland through the 2013-14 season. If the Blazers don’t, Babbitt, Smith and Williams will become unrestricted free agents this offseason.

“We have some decisions to make,” Blazers general manager Neil Olshey said.

And these decisions are not as black and white as they may seem on the surface. Do the Blazers like the potential of the players? Sure. Do they see roles for them in the future? Perhaps.

via Joe Freeman of The Oregonian