Rudy Fernandez may still desire a trade or release, but people around the Blazers suggest that he's much happier now than he was when he reported to training camp.

Portland insiders suggest that Fernandez's mood has changed because his teammates have made more of an attempt to make him feel welcome.

"I can count on Rudy," Brandon Roy said. "I can trust Rudy to play hard and do well for this team. We all have moments where we want to get home. I'm a 2 1/2-hour drive away from home (in Seattle) and I get homesick. But I think Rudy will be good despite everything that's happened."