UPDATE: Blazers Hire Lamar Hurd as New Color Commentator

UPDATE: The Portland Trail Blazers have officially announced the hiring of former Oregon State point guard Lamar Hurd to join Kevin Calabro for television announcing duties:

Lamar Hurd joins the Trail Blazers for his first season as Television Analyst in 2016-17. He will provide basketball analysis and insight on all Trail Blazers broadcasts and across social media channels. He will also join game-day segments on the Toyota Pregame Show and make appearances on Trail Blazers Courtside on Monday nights. Hurd comes to the Trail Blazers from the Pac-12 Network, where he was a college basketball analyst for four years. In 2014, he began broadcasting games for ESPN as well.

The Blazers also officially announced the hiring of Jordan Kent as television studio host (replacing Adam Bjaranson), and Brooke Olzendam as Courtside Reporter for all home and road Blazers games.

The news was first reported by Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune.

It’s not yet been announced by the club, but former Oregon State point guard Lamar Hurd will be Calabro’s partner as analyst during the upcoming NBA season. Calabro and Hurd have worked together often calling games with the Pac-12 Networks the past three years. Since 2008, Hurd also has worked for Fox Sports Northwest, Root Sports and ESPN.

Eggers notes that the Trail Blazers also interviewed former coach P.J. Carlesimo, former Blazer Steve Smith, and former Blazer Will Perdue for the role before deciding Hurd was the best fit.

The broadcast shakeup didn't end there:

Brian Wheeler — Portland’s radio play-by-play voice since 1998 — will work solo for much of the 2016-17 campaign. The Blazers are in negotiations with former Blazer forward Brian Grant to work alongside Wheeler for a portion of the season.

Jordan Kent and Brooke Olzendam of Comcast SportsNet Northwest have been hired by the Blazers.

Kent will become the team’s studio host and Olzendam will handle game sideline duties for both home and road games, along with pre- and post-game interviews.

In June, Olzendam had started as host of a half-hour weekly show on CSN called "Sports Talk Live." That role ends with her full-time employment with the Blazers.

Kent replaces Adam Bjaranson, who served as studio host the past six years. Kent will work alongside Michael Holton, who will no longer be an in-game sideline reporter but will serve as pre-game, halftime and post-game analyst. Kent and Wheeler probably will divide hosting responsibilities for the Blazers’ "Courtside" show on radio and TV.

It’s probable that Kent — perhaps the top three-sport male athlete in Oregon history — also will continue to host CSN’s "Duck Talk" through the football and basketball seasons.

Bjaranson, who also works as a sales executive with Lawyers Title Oregon, has been told he will remain with the Blazer broadcasting team in an as-yet undesignated capacity.

Follow this link to read Eggers’ full article.

H/T: Satchmo12