Trail Blazers Appoint ex-Clipper Executive Olshey as GM
Fitzgerald Cecilio
Portland, OR
Los Angeles' loss is Portland's gain.
The Trail Blazers appointed Neil Olshey Wednesday as their general manager, days after his negotiations with the Clippers fell apart.
The hiring came as a surprise as Olshey was reported to have reached an agreement to stay with the Clippers, where he worked as vice president of basketball operations since March 2010.
Olshey, 47, was credited for bringing All-Star guard Chris Paul to the Clippers last season. Paul's teaming with Blake Griffin has resulted to a playoff berth for the team and erased the team's identity as laughing stock of the Western Conference.
"I am very pleased to have Neil as our new general manager," Blazers owner Paul Allen said in the statement. "He has the skills and the vision to successfully guide our organization into a new era of Trail Blazers basketball. He's proven that he can quickly turn around a franchise, and we are confident he can do that in Portland."
Olshey's next job is to find the next head coach for Portland and he has the tools needed to bring the Blazers back to their old glory as one of the powerhouse teams in the West. Portland owns the No. 6 and No. 11 picks in 2012 draft and has the salary cap flexibility to make widespread changes.
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to become a part of this successful franchise," said Olshey. He replaced Rich Cho, who was fired in May 2011, 10 months after he was chosen for the job.
"Portland is a great basketball city with a rich tradition, an incredible fan base and committed leadership. I'm joining an organization that has a strong foundation and a bright future. I couldn't be more excited and I'm ready to hit the ground running," he added.
"Neil is someone we've had on our radar for quite a while," team president Larry Miller said in a statement. "Over the past two seasons he has demonstrated success in constructing a roster, managing salary cap and evaluating player talent. We feel very fortunate to have him in Portland and are thrilled about what this means for the future."
Olshey began his NBA career with the Clippers as Director of Player Development prior to the start of the 2003-04 season and served as an assistant coach during the 2004-05 campaign before holding the title of Director of Player Personnel from 2005-08.
Olshey was promoted to assistant general manager prior to the start of the 2008-09 season.
Prior to joining the Clippers, Olshey was the Director of Player Development for SFX Sports Group, Inc. where he created, organized and conducted pre-draft and offseason training camps for future and current NBA players.
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