Trail Blazers President Larry Miller yesterday said that the team has “narrowed their search for a general manager to three finalists," according to Jason Quick of the Portland OREGONIAN. Miller said the team expects to hire a candidate "soon." The finalists “are believed to be” former Hornets GM Jeff Bower; Pacers GM David Morway and Clippers GM Neil Olshey. Miller said, “We’ve had three people in front of [Owner Paul Allen], and now we are down to the vetting process and checking backgrounds.” Quick notes the committee that will “choose the general manager will be Miller, Allen and Bert Kolde, Allen’s confidant and head of the Blazers’ board of directors.” The Blazers have been without a GM since the team parted ways with Rich Cho on May 23, 2011 (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/30).
BLAZING A NEW PATH: In Portland, Joe Freeman notes the Blazers and the NBA D-League Idaho Stampede announced a “hybrid” partnership yesterday, giving the Blazers “full control over all basketball operations of the minor league basketball team.” The move, which makes the Stampede the "sole affiliate of the Blazers, establishes a Major League Baseball-like farm system in which the Blazers pick the coaching staff, select the player roster and run all basketball aspects of the team.” By investing in the Stampede and taking over the basketball operations, the Blazers “can dictate every minor league move that’s made.” The Blazers join the Rockets, Nets and Knicks in forming a “hybrid” partnership with a D-League team (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/30). The Stampede was affiliated with the Blazers, Jazz and Nuggets last season. The Jazz were “previously affiliated with the Utah Flash before the franchise folded” prior to the ‘11-12 season (DESERET NEWS, 5/30).
UNDER THE KNIFE: In Portland, Kerry Eggers notes Miller “is facing back surgery in about two weeks.” He will “undergo a procedure called a microdisectomy to remove part of a disk for the second time in three years.” Miller said, “It was pretty easy last time. I was up and around in a couple of days. Hopefully, that will be the case again this time” (PORTLAND TRIBUNE, 5/30).
