Joe

Cronin

Portland’s star point guard made it through just 29 games before ultimately being ruled out for the season, which contributed greatly to the Blazers’ 27-win season. They have some power now, however, as they hold one of the top picks in the draft and could very well utilize it in a trade package to get another player that could be of help to Dame while he’s still in his prime. Lillard was recently on hand for a workout with projected lottery pick AJ Griffin of Duke, so if Lillard liked what he saw, he may have some say in whether or not the pick is used to select someone like Griffin or to trade it elsewhere. Portland is a big question mark in general right now but is expected to make plenty of moves this summer, as the departure of CJ McCollum in the middle of last season leaves them with a large offensive void to be filled.

Oliva was previously on the bench as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz. He previously served as the VP of strategy with the Philadelphia 76ers. He will join Mike Schmitz and Andrae Patterson as assistant general managers that have been hired under Cronin this off-season.

Cronin took over as interim GM when Neil Olshey was fired in December, and he was rewarded with a four-year deal. Cronin made moves that had the team focused on the future, specifically this off-season. It’s critical that he sets Portland up for success now with Damian Lillard coming off an injury-riddled season on the wrong side of 30. Portland has the 6th best odds at the top pick in this draft, which could be either a franchise cornerstone or an appealing trade piece. Cronin has some tough decisions to make, but the four-year deal speaks to the confidence the organization has in him to lead the charge.