9:43pm: Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen wrote about the franchise's general manager position in a lengthy piece of commentary posted on the team's website on Tuesday.
What is the right fit? First and foremost, the GM has to have what I refer to as the "golden gut." The job requires more than an ability to assess basketball talent. It's also about weighing the intangibles, from character to medical issues, and all the risks involved. Almost every NBA draftee, for example, has some injury history. (And those medical histories are carefully reviewed by our topnotch medical team.)
Allen went on to describe in greater detail some of the specifics he is looking for in the ideal candidate and the type of relationship he will have with the next general manager.
The GM has to be a good fit with the players, coaches, management, and the Portland community. Of course, I'll also be evaluating how the GM will interact with me, as I'm an engaged and active owner and I ask a lot of questions. It's important for me to clearly understand all the facets of what we're thinking of doing, both on and off the court.
3:12pm: Former Nuggets and Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that the Portland job looks "very attractive," but didn't say whether Miller and the Blazers have reached out to him about it.
12:13pm: One unknown candidate for the Trail Blazers' general manager opening has had a face-to-face interview with owner Paul Allen. However, team president Larry Miller tells Jason Quick of the Oregonian that at least three candidates will be brought in to meet with Allen before a final decision is made.
"I think we have some really viable candidates right now, candidates who seem like they would be a good fit, would bring the kind of experience we are looking for," Miller said. "So I’m optimistic we are making some progress."
Miller acknowledged that some of the Blazers' targets are currently employed by teams still playing in the postseason, and said some clubs have denied him permission to speak with employees. Still, he hopes to have a new GM in place well before the June 28th draft.
"We’d love to have somebody in place as soon as we can, so as we go into the draft we have somebody in place," Miller said. "That may or may not happen, but we’d love to be able to do that. If it’s somebody who happens to be in the playoffs, it will be challenging to do that. But our goal is to get somebody as quickly as we can, but to also make sure it’s the right person."
Miller also spoke to Quick about the favorable aspects of the job, such as the team's cap and draft-pick situation, as well as the opportunity to hire a new coach. However, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears that some candidates may be turned off by the turnover in the team's front office in recent years. According to Kyler's sources, "there are way too many layers of people" in the Blazers' front office, which could turn off potential candidates.
