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

The Portland Trail Blazers should give Mike Dunleavy Jr. an interview

With Karsinovas’s meteoric rise in the front office landscape, former players are becoming all the rage for the behind-the-scenes positions. James Jones is also excelling as a player-turned-executive with the Phoenix Suns.

Mike Dunleavy Jr. could be next on the list. After all, there’s no one better at evaluating player talent than someone who saw how those gifts can manifest themselves on a basketball court firsthand.

Not only does Dunleavy have invaluable experience as an NBA professional, he’s also already got a loaded resume before even landing his first general manager gig.

In terms of ex-NBA players, the Blazers are reportedly also looking at Danny Ainge, Tayshaun Prince, and Brent Barry.

We know what Ainge is made of. Mostly shrewd moves to collect assets, but then an anxiety to turn that into a true superstar acquisition.

Tayshaun Prince, of course, already has a nice working relationship with Head Coach Chauncey Billups. Barry has an undeniable connection to the Pacific Northwest, having starred for the Oregon State Beavers and Seattle Supersonics.

But Dunleavy brings something different to the table. His father, Mike Dunleavy Sr., is a highly accomplished coach and former NBA General Manager.

What Jr. hasn’t learned from his father, he’s likely picked up working under one of the NBA’s most accomplished executives in Warriors General Manager Bob Myers.

Mike Dunleavy isn’t as known of a commodity as the other candidates that the Blazers are looking at, but his resume speaks for itself. From where Portland is standing, perhaps a radical move is exactly what the team needs. Bringing over some of Golden State’s secrets alone might be worth the interview.