Tag: Neil Olshey

So when I ran into Olshey in the back …

So when I ran into Olshey in the back hallways of the Moda Center before Tuesday’s game against New York, I posed the essence of your questions to him: How is he approaching the unofficial start to the trading season on Dec. 15? “We are going to stay disciplined,” Olshey said. “That doesn’t mean we are not going to stay opportunistic, OK? But the bar for how big of an impact somebody has to make to really make an outcome-related impact is higher.”

What does “disciplined” mean, exactly? …

What does “disciplined” mean, exactly? “The discipline comes in that the starting lineup next year is Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Rodney Hood, Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic,” Olshey said. “And we are going to get there. Now, some of those guys will be back this year, and some won’t. But what we are not going to do is give away long-term assets that can help get this team to where we really want to be — and where we thought we were back in September — for some incremental upgrade today.”

“We are now down three starters,” …

“We are now down three starters,” Olshey said, including center Jusuf Nurkic, who is still rehabilitating from his broken leg. “We are also down our identity. Nobody understands that. We have been an elite rebounding team for the last three years. We were number one in the league in offensive rebounding last year. We take a lot of mid-range jumpers. We rely on jumpers, which is okay if we are cleaning up those points with putbacks — guys like Enes (Kanter), guys like Nurk — real elite rebounders. Hassan (Whiteside) is doing his part, but having only one interior presence to rebound and protect the rim at the level we are accustomed to wasn’t the plan.”

Celtics’ Danny Ainge is the master of trades in the NBA

There is no exact science to measuring the success of an NBA executive, though re-evaluating trades is common practice by basketball media.

There is no exact science to measuring the success of an NBA executive, though re-evaluating trades is common practice by basketball media.

As part of this, we looked at how many All-Stars seasons the traded players have had after the deal. The executive who did the best in this mark is Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and it’s not even close.

Ainge has had 16 seasons of All-Star campaigns from players he has traded for during his tenure with the Celtics. Perhaps most notable is that he landed Kevin Garnett (who was an All-Star five times with Boston) without giving up any in return. Ray Allen also made three All-Star teams and the Celtics surrendered none in return.

Even more impressive: none of the players he has traded has ever made an All-Star team after leaving the franchise. That also includes offering Isaiah Thomas (who made an All-Star team with Boston but has not since) in a deal for superstar guard Kyrie Irving.

The only other active executive in the NBA who has netted more than two All-Star seasons without giving up any is Portland Trail Blazers president of basketball operations and general manager Neil Olshey – who acquired Chris Paul while he was working for the Clippers.

Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey has given up five All-Star seasons in exchange for seven. His trades have clearly been the most high-risk, high-reward of the executives around the league.

This study also looks at folks who were formerly executives for other teams (e.g. Mitch Kupchak with the Los Angeles Lakers as well as the Charlotte Hornets) before arriving at their current destination.

Overall, the basketball exec who fared the worst in this research was Sam Presti. This is mostly from trading James Harden, who has been an All-Star seven years in a row since getting moved to the Rockets. It also includes two All-Star nods from Victor Oladipo, who was acquired in exchange for Paul George.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

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Olshey, who orchestrated Anthony’s …

Olshey, who orchestrated Anthony’s signing to mask the hole left by the injury to starter Zach Collins and the ineffectiveness of offseason signings Mario Hezonja and Anthony Tolliver, offered a quid pro quo to Anthony’s camp. “Carmelo needs an empowering and welcoming environment with a defined role that embraces his skill set on the floor and his presence in the locker room,” Olshey said. “And we need a player that can generate production from the power forward position, can alleviate defensive pressure on Dame and CJ and be trusted to make plays at critical moments in close games.”

Portland Trail Blazers President of …

Portland Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey had tried to get Carmelo Anthony in trades with the New York Knicks, tried to get him as a free agent post-Oklahoma City. Now, they were together on a call Thursday morning. Time had passed, circumstances had changed. “You need us,” sources said Olshey told Anthony. “And we need you.”

After six straight trips to the Western …

After six straight trips to the Western Conference playoffs — including two conference semifinals runs and a West finals a season ago — Olshey knew this: The Blazers needed a player capable of commanding the respect of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. They needed a presence to roust the spirit of an unnerved locker room. The Blazers wouldn’t find that in the NBA’s G-League, nor with a journeyman veteran out of a job.