Latest On Trail Blazers’ GM Search
Team president Larry Miller and other members of the Trail Blazers' front office continue to conduct interviews for the club's general manager opening, says Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune. Eggers has a number of updates related to Portland's search, so let's round them up:
- Miller isn't sure how many candidates the team will interview. "We want to make sure with our decision. I don't want to have to do this again," Miller said, adding: "If we talk to somebody and this is our guy, that would be the end of it."
- The Trail Blazers met with Steve Kerr in April, and Kerr says the two sides "exchanged a lot of ideas" and that he learned a lot about the organization. However, he also reiterated that, while the situation intrigues him, he's not interested in the position right now.
- Geoff Petrie is considered a possibility for the opening and remains "highly regarded" by members of the Blazers' organization, says Eggers. Petrie expects to remain in his front office role in Sacramento though: "At this point in my career, I'd like to see us turn the corner (with the Kings), given our circumstances the last four years."
- While acting GM Chad Buchanan remains a candidate for the job, Miller says no interview is necessary for Buchanan, who has worked in the organization for eight years.
- Members of the Blazers' front office have been making visits to college campuses to learn more about potential draft targets, though Miller and Buchanan both say trading a pick or two for a veteran player is a possibility.
Trail Blazers Met With Steve Kerr
It's no secret that Steve Kerr is one of the Trail Blazers' preferred candidates, if not the top choice, for the team's general manager opening. Although Kerr reportedly told Portland earlier this month that he wasn't interested in the position, the Blazers didn't give up their pursuit of the former Suns executive. According to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype, Blazers president Larry Miller met with Kerr on Saturday, though nothing concrete materialized regarding the GM job.
"The media guys in Portland are getting ahead of themselves with this story," said Kerr's agent, Mark Bartelstein. "Steve has a good relationship with Larry Miller and met with him, but nothing specific was addressed and no offer was made. Steve is very happy with his job at TNT and his life right now, being able to be around his children and spending time with his family. A unique set of circumstances would have to happen for Steve to give up on that. He's not actively looking for anything."
The Blazers are thought to have interest in current NBA executives like John Hammond and Mitch Kupchak, so the team's GM search figures to continue into the offseason, when Portland can receive permission to talk to currently-employed candidates.
Blazers Interested In Hammond, Still Eyeing Kerr
The Trail Blazers continue to search for a permanent general manager, and a number of reports on their search have surfaced today. Let's round them up….
- Blazers president Larry Miller says Steve Kerr, who told the team he wasn't interested in the GM opening, hasn't been officially ruled out yet, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter).
- Portland is interested in Bucks GM John Hammond for the position, tweets Quick. Miller says he has yet to ask the Bucks for permission to speak to Hammond (Twitter link). I imagine that could happen within a week or so, when Milwaukee's season will likely come to an end.
- The Blazers didn't contact Larry Brown about interviewing for the position, though he was interested, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
Blazers GM Search Continues, Kerr Not Interested
11:13am: The Blazers' top choice for their GM vacancy, Steve Kerr, has told the team he's not interested in the job, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian. Kerr, who was approached by the Blazers last year when the team was seeking a GM, had an informal phone interview with Portland last week, but has decided to continue working with TNT and spending time with his family.
"[Kerr] likes Larry [Miller], and certainly isn’t closing any doors, but right now he loves his life at TNT," said Mark Bartelstein, Kerr’s agent. "He will come back to the NBA in the future, whether it’s as a coach or in the front office, but that’s a few years down the road."
9:01am: Former Hornets general manager Jeff Bower is "very intrigued" by the Trail Blazers' GM opening, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes hears that Bower would definitely be interested in interviewing for the position if the Blazers were to call him. Bower drafted players such as Chris Paul, David West, and Darren Collison when he was with the Hornets.
Portland recently resumed its search for a permanent general manager. At least two candidates have already received interviews, and an "interesting list" has emerged for the position, says team president Larry Miller. Miller didn't confirm a report suggesting agent Noah Croom was the most recent Blazers interviewee, but said he has yet to reach out to candidates currently with NBA teams. I imagine that will happen when the regular season comes to an end.
The team's acting general manager, Chad Buchanan, may not be among the most high-profile candidates, but he also wouldn't mind the chance to interview for the permanent position, according to Haynes.
"I'm not going to ask, but if they want to interview me, I will," Buchanan said. "I love being a part of this organization and I hope to be here for a long time."
Trail Blazers Resume Search For General Manager
The Trail Blazers fell to the Thunder last night to fall four games out of the West's final playoff spot, but the bigger news for the team came off the court. Blazers president Larry Miller said before the game that the team has reopened its search for a general manager, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian.
It has been nearly a year since Rich Cho was fired, with Portland employing Chad Buchanan as the team's acting GM since then. The Blazers previously interviewed "five or six" candidates, who won't be reconsidered now, according to Miller. The previous interviewees include Dennis Lindsey of the Spurs, Neil Olshey of the Clippers, Troy Weaver of the Thunder, and David Griffin, who has since been hired by the Cavs. Quick adds that Ed Stefanski and Dave Pendergraft may also have been interviewed, though that's unconfirmed (Twitter link).
Miller says the Blazers are looking for a candidate with previous GM experience, and Quick wonders if the team could have its eye on Steve Kerr. Portland pursued Kerr after parting ways with Cho, but the former Suns GM and current TNT analyst preferred to spend time with his family. Quick speculates that perhaps the extended wait to hire a permanent GM suggests that the Blazers are waiting on Kerr.
While the Blazers' search has been resumed, it may not move forward in earnest until after the season, when rival teams allow their current employees to interview for the position.