2 dark-horse candidates for Trail Blazers to replace Neil Olshey as GM

It took longer than expected, but the fateful “Friday news dump” finally came as the Portland Trail Blazers announced that they would be parting ways with longtime General Manager Neil Olshey — citing the toxic work environment that he had created for Portland employees.

A full month after the investigation was first announced, Jody Allen and the Trail Blazers must work quickly to catch up to the rest of the league, as the team is already behind the ball at this point. While Portland sits at 11-12, firmly entrenched in the play-in seeds without a new permanent GM, many teams probably already have their December 15th trade targets lined up.

Before the Blazers can identify trade partners and ideal acquisitions, though, they’ll need to name a successor to fill Olshey’s stinky, arrogant shoes.

Who should be the Portland Trail Blazers next general manager?

Allen and the Blazers reportedly already have a couple of candidates in mind in Chicago’s Marc Eversley and the New York Knick’s Scott Perry.

I can’t help but feel like these are longshots, unless Allen is willing to break open the checkbook to try to sway one of them to leave their thriving, big market playoff contenders to come to Olshey’s formerly endeared “small-market” team.

Both Eversley and Perry were anointed to help create a new environment in their respective teams, and both have succeeded quickly.

It’s hard to imagine them jumping ship, or to conceive that noted penny pincher Jody Allen would suddenly be interested in offering a contract that would be enticing enough for either of them to come out west.

That being said, both Eversley and Perry have someone to answer to. Eversley to Chicago’s Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karsinovas and Perry to famed agent and current President of the New York Knicks Leon Rose.

Olshey held both the titles President and General Manager for the Trail Blazers, and his replacement will likely do the same. This would offer the incumbent complete control over all of Portland’s basketball operations, a power that Olshey wielded irresponsibly for years.

Even so, there are some other options that could benefit over this shiny new job prospect, aside from the two above named candidates.