Here is something from our old friend, Ben Golliver, who managed to get a piece in the Washington Post. Story includes some snipping at Jody Allen: "The Blazers installed longtime salary cap guru Joe Cronin as interim general manager, but Jody Allen and Vice Chair Bert Kolde are flirting with a lost season if they don’t quickly find a full-time replacement and take steps to remake a badly unbalanced roster before the trade deadline. Moving McCollum is overdue given his sizable contract and overlapping skills with Lillard; center Jusuf Nurkic and forward Robert Covington are natural trade chips given their inconsistent recent play and expiring contracts. To avoid being swallowed by speculation about Lillard’s future, Portland needs to add frontcourt length and athleticism." "For a small-market franchise, landing a quality executive isn’t nearly as difficult as drawing all-star players. Still, this executive search process will be a litmus test for the post-Paul Allen Blazers. His personal investment and financial resources were signature strengths to aspiring general managers, and the franchise looks a lot less appealing in his absence. For the Blazers to shake free from their stasis, Jody Allen must understand that Paul Allen’s Blazers are gone for good. It’s time for her to inherit the full burden of ownership or to locate a buyer who shares her brother’s love for the game."https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/12/06/portland-trail-blazers-jody-allen/
She cares. I think the GM move is coming soon. If she didn't, she wouldn't sit through the games. Hopefully she will be apart of the press conference when the new GM is hired, and let the fanbase know how she feels. But i have heard she does care.
Eversley, Barry, and Perry work under current GM's, and wouldn't be held back from pursuing promotions. Cronin has learned from intern to player personnel with the Blazers. He's also knows the workings of the cap. I'm for moving him to fulltime GM. He's seen what's works, and what has not under Olshey. I feel he's seen how staying stagnant has hurt the franchise. He understands what rip city means.
maybe she cares for all we know, there may be a codicil in Paul Allen's will requiring that she attends 164 games before she can sell the team
He might be outside Morey's window ,with a boombox , right now. Playing Peter Gabriel until accepts the trade.
Woj was talking about that in a podcast I didn't believe a word he said about Dame demanding an extension of his extension. I think it was bullshit and I suspect it was Olshey infused bullshit
Yeah, short of an actual trade to report, take anything Woj says about Portland with a grain a salt right now. His little tweet about Portland not missing the playoffs in years after Olshey was fired was such a joke. Keep twerking dork.
Once Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard stopped threatening to request a trade, everyone understood his inevitable moment of truth: His future remained bound to the summer of 2022, not 2021. Extensions were always automatic for him, and that's no longer the case. Lillard wants a two-year, $107 million extension in July, and he and his agent need the next general manager to sell ownership on the idea. As much as anything, this cuts to the core of the Blazers' search process. His desire for an extension into his advanced NBA years has turned into a battle for the franchise's future, an existential threat to reshaping and redirecting the organization in a post-playoff reality. The prospects of Portland extending Lillard, 31, beyond his $48.8 million in 2024-2025 to pay him $51 million at 35 years old and $55 million at 36 years old threatens to turn an asset of a contract into an albatross. As former President of Basketball Operations and GM Neil Olshey exits the Blazers, the process to hire his successor will soon be underway. Portland is deciding whether it'll hire a firm to research and recommend candidates, sources said. Bert Kolde, the long-time ownership executive and right-hand man to the late Paul Allen, will direct the search again. He's hired several GMs in his tenure. Trail Blazers fire Olshey after workplace inquiry 4d NBA Power Rankings: Are the Bulls back on track? 1d The Blazers will be wise to expect every candidate to come armed with two important questions: What are owner Jody Allen's plans to keep or sell the team? And more immediately, would a new GM have autonomy to rebuild the franchise not around but without Lillard? In the past year, Lillard and his camp have been thwarted on several leverage plays -- Jason Kidd as coach, trading CJ McCollum and four first-round picks for Ben Simmons. Most of all, they lost the confidence that the Blazers had a top basketball executive and ownership willing to make Lillard's contract the highest single-season deal in league history at $55.3 million in 2027. With four seasons -- including an opt-out -- left on his deal, Lillard had no leverage to choose his next team over this past summer. If Lillard asked out, he would've gone where Portland could get the best package of young players, draft picks and salary-cap relief. Asking for New York and Philadelphia makes for dramatic storylines, but the multiple years on his deal would've emboldened several small and non-destination markets to engage with Portland's steep asking price. Among several top-level GM candidates who fit the profile of Portland's applicant pool, there's no enthusiasm to grant Lillard his massive extension contract through the 2026-27 season. In fact, several executives told ESPN they would be far more interested in the Blazers job with ownership's blessing to move Lillard sooner than later. Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic is one thing -- navigating offers for Lillard is another thing altogether. Do the Blazers allow Cronin to make the franchise-defining decisions in the coming months and win the job? Rival teams believe they'll have a better idea once they start talking trades in the coming weeks. The NBA on ESPN and the ESPN App[/paste:font] Wednesday, Dec. 8 Bucks at Heat, 7:30 p.m. Trail Blazers at Warriors, 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 Nets at Hawks, 7:30 p.m. Celtics at Suns, 10 p.m. All times Eastern Three teams with interest in Lillard told ESPN that they are waiting on him to make an offseason trade demand before calling Portland. If Lillard asks out, they know the Blazers will lose some leverage in the asking price -- and are waiting on it. Philadelphia made an offer, but New York never did, league sources said. Lillard's reps offered mixed messages on the star's intentions to stay or go, and rival teams say that the star's camp had real concerns about Olshey's willingness to recommend the extension to ownership in 2022. Jody Allen isn't the typical NBA owner; her late brother Paul was a maniacal NBA fan, fully engaged on a daily basis. She is conducting the franchise's business as a caretaker of a charitable trust. If Jody decides to sell the team, the revenue goes to that trust. Unlike her late brother, she has no real history with Lillard -- and no sentimental attachment. There's no shortage of billionaires trying to acquire NBA and NFL teams, and currently only the Denver Broncos are available. If a new owner isn't buying into a championship contender, they will likely prefer assets and roster flexibility. For now, the Blazers are telling people that they'll take their time on the search, that they won't be moved by anyone's agenda. The battle lines are real on Damian Lillard's future and leverage is ever-evolving. As much as anything, this fight for control of the franchise's future is a cold, sober exercise of balancing assets and albatrosses.
Thanks for posting, @GDiama LOL. trying to put a wedge between the team and Dame with nonsense like this: Among several top-level GM candidates who fit the profile of Portland's applicant pool, there's no enthusiasm to grant Lillard his massive extension contract through the 2026-27 season. In fact, several executives told ESPN they would be far more interested in the Blazers job with ownership's blessing to move Lillard sooner than later. Good luck getting past a single interview if you come in and recommend trading Dame as your big idea to improve the team. And fuck Woj for shit like this: Unlike her late brother, she has no real history with Lillard -- and no sentimental attachment. That is straight out of Olshey's mouth.
Olshey may have written the entire thing. Funny that the criticism from Woj didn't begin til Olshey was out the door. Ten years and I dont remember one critical/negative article from him about Portland. Funny how that works.