Will Joe Cronin be the Portland Trail Blazers permanent General Manager?

There are so many questions surrounding the Portland Trail Blazers right now. What picks will they get in the draft? Who will they draft? Who will be traded? Who will they trade for? Who will be signed in free agency? However, there is a bigger question the Blazers need to answer before the offseason, and it needs to be answered before the other questions can be. Who will be the permanent General Manager?

In December, the team announced the firing of President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Neil Olshey. This came after an investigation into the allegations that he created a hostile work environment, which the Blazers concluded violated their code of conduct.

The Portland Trail Blazers need to name a new permanent general manager

Following Olshey’s dismissal, then-Assistant General Manager Joe Cronin was dubbed as the Interim General Manager. At one point names were emerging as candidates for the position including Cronin, Boston Celtics Vice President of Player Development Allison Feaster, former Blazer and current NBA G-League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and newly-minted Alternate Governor and CEO of the Utah Jazz, Danny Ainge.

It’s precarious that Joe Cronin has not since been named a permanent replacement for Neil Olshey, although he was granted the authority to execute some crucial moves for the franchise. He was given the green light to trade the Blazers’ second-best player in CJ McCollum.

Is it safe to assume the “Interim General Manager” title will be removed and replaced with “General Manager of the Portland Trail Blazers”?

If Portland doesn’t intend on securing Cronin’s position as GM, they’ll need to make quick work in finding a permanent solution. The offseason is quickly approaching, with a lot to get done. But naming a new leader is imperative before embarking on one of the most important off-seasons in franchise history.

Let’s hope that Owner Jody Allen and the rest of the Blazers brass are well underway into the search process.