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Blazers Land in Middle of NBA Front Office Power Rankings

Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes takes a look at NBA front offices, and puts Neil Olshey and the Blazers in the middle of the pack.

David MacKay - Blazer’s Edge

For an NBA team to win, it’s obvious that they need a talented roster put in a position to succeed. But for that to happen, a franchise needs a solid front office - able to put together deals and draft players that will thrive with their organization.

Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes has ranked the current NBA front offices, and has the Portland Trail Blazers coming in 19th out of 30.

It’s never a good sign when teams burn calories undoing self-inflicted damage, but that’s how the Blazers spent the last couple of summers in the wake of ridiculous contracts for Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard and Allen Crabbe. When the trade exception Portland got from the Nets in the Crabbe deal expired this past week, it meant the Blazers gave Crabbe away for nothing but financial relief.

Portland didn’t just dump money this offseason, which was a plus.

Hughes went on to discuss this summer’s moves:

Seth Curry could outproduce the departed Shabazz Napier if he’s finally healthy, but Nik Stauskas will struggle to match Pat Connaughton’s modest production. Olshey didn’t meaningfully alter the roster, though Ed Davis’ exit might hurt morale a bit.

There wasn’t much “wow” in Portland’s free-agency transaction log, but Olshey’s prior moves contributed to the relative inaction. If Zach Collins develops into a third star alongside Lillard and McCollum, two Olshey draftees, the Blazers front office will deserve a nudge up the rankings.

Agree? Disagree? And what would it take for Portland’s front office to move up or down this list?