Joe Cronin became the Portland Trail Blazers' interim general manager in December 2021 and officially took over as their GM in May 2022. In that span, he's had a lot on his plate, going from a top team in the Western Conference to a rebuilding team that finished last season with the worst record in the West after superstar Damian Lillard's trade request last summer.
Cronin could have gotten more in return for Lillard, particularly in the subsequent Jrue Holiday trade with the Celtics, but he's also had his fair share of bright spots since becoming the Blazers' 11th GM in franchise history.
3. Landing Deni Avdija this summer
It remains to be seen how this trade plays out regarding the young assets and draft capital involved in the deal, like No. 14 overall pick Bub Carrington. But the Blazers landed a steal in Deni Avdija, who is already an above-average starting wing at 23 years old. He's on a ridiculously team-friendly contract, which is frontloaded and descends to $11.9 million in the 2027-28 season.
Sure, Portland gave up two first-round picks for a player who likely won't be an All-Star anytime soon. But the context of the picks makes it such a better trade for the Blazers—the 2024 draft class was notoriously weak, and the 2029 first-round pick is the second most favorable between their own, the Bucks, and the Celtics, meaning it should likely be toward the end of the first round.