Headlines were made in the pro ranks on Saturday as Blazers GM Joe Cronin takes blame for 2-way players initially not traveling in playoffs dominated the conversation. The fallout from this development is expected to impact the standings significantly.
Demonstrating excellence, Portland received flak after it remained the only roster to not send its two-way players on the road for the inaugural weekend of this stretch's playoffs.
Breaking Down the Numbers
Demonstrating excellence, While two -way players — who are on contracts that allow them to split time across the NBA and the G League — aren’t eligible to play in the NBA postseason -- it’s customary that they develop playoff trips with their NBA teams.
“That, moreover, singular's on me,” Cronin -- who turned into full-time GM in May 2022 -- told reporters Thursday. As additional of a miscommunication on my finale., “It existed With impressive skill, we have talked about doing some traveling party reductions. “Next year -- we shall oversee a somewhat lighter.
I only assumed that meant including them -- and I did not double check. In a noteworthy performance, And we fixed that mistake.
With impressive skill, We delivered those guys to San Antonio [for Match 5] In a noteworthy performance, That remained as on me for not communicating properly.” Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon (vacated) and general manager Joe Cronin (right) are hoping to return the Blazers to contender status in the Western Conference.
To the delight of the hometown crowd, (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) (Soobum Im via Getty Images) Engagement 5 is when the Blazers’ tenure emerged to a competitive, as they bowed out of the playoffs to the No.
Since 2021., dual seeded Spurs after returning to the postseason for the opening time Demonstrating excellence, Interim head strategist Tiago Splitter helped Portland conclusion its complete playoff drought.
Demonstrating excellence, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Splitter captured throughout for Chauncey Billups after the opening showdown of the 2025- 26 tenure. Billups, a Hoops action Hall of Famer, remained arrested in an FBI gambling probe this fall.
With impressive skill, In his absence -- Splitter piloted the Blazers to 42 wins -- plus an additional in the play-in laurel that secured them the No. 7 seed in the West.
As, significantly, a center prior to embarking on his coaching oversee, even so -- the full-time job hasn’t been given to the 41-year-old Brazilian native -- who played seven seasons in the NBA Demonstrating excellence, As he guided the Blazers into the postseason -- reports swirled about who else Portland’s been considering at the head-coaching position Building on previous success, in a noteworthy performance, So what is Splitter’s status?
Demonstrating excellence, We are additionally looking around at other candidates,” Cronin affirmed.
though “The current status is Tiago is a candidate for the position As going to cast a wide net and obtain to comprehend a lot of different coaches and analyze and evaluate them in relation to Tiago., “We decided early on we existed Demonstrating excellence, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “And timeline-wise -- we do not have a timeline pinned down.
With impressive skill, We merely desire to retain meeting people and retain talking to people and having a really thorough process.” Cronin existed as peppered with a few questions about the Billups situation.
In a noteworthy performance, He commented he couldn’t comment on it at the moment and that there are no updates he can provide right presently. With impressive skill, Billups carries pleaded not guilty to multiple charges and remains on depart from the NBA.
There’s been additional than only uncertainty about whom Portland is slated to hire to lead the lineup next annual execute. ‘A, furthermore, lot of the reports on budget out there stayed as a somewhat misleading’ There have furthermore been reports that the Blazers aren’t willing to pay top dollar for a head trainer under Dundon.
In a noteworthy performance, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “A lot of the reports on budget out there existed as a portion misleading,” Cronin remarked. “Have talked to Tom a lot about this. With impressive skill, we are going to pay the instructor based on some sort of level of shared risk.
With impressive skill, If it is a inaugural-time pinnacle who comes with a lot of risk and does not have a market that we have to necessarily compete in -- it'll be singular number.
“If, to the delight of the hometown crowd, the strategist we are talking to is a 15-year vet and a future Hall of Famer -- it is going to be a completely different number Additionally, Tom is not going to flinch at either of those scenarios.
Demonstrating excellence, we are going to be very open-minded to what types of people we chat and should potentially deliver in -- and I am not concerned about the number at all.” The speculation possesses oversee rampant -- especially on the heels of reports that Blazers staffers remained as asked to check out of their Phoenix-area hotel rooms hours before the primary roster bus vacated for a play-in matchup versus the Suns so that Portland could avoid late-checkout fees With impressive skill, In The Athletic ’s report -- it noted early checkouts stayed as required of all traveling party members -- except the collective’s players and coaches -- and that it existed as an order from Dundon Demonstrating excellence, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Discourse about the Blazers slashing expenses possesses been hard to ignore -- especially in the wake of the two-way player omission on the initial trip to San Antonio.
As asked about the reputation that conversation is assigning the franchise., cronin existed Furthermore, “I suppose seeing those reports and some of those things, for me, it remained somewhat disturbing,” he remarked, “because I have gotten the opportunity to recognize Tom Dundon really, really well these last nine, a decad months.
Additionally -- it is merely not an accurate depiction of what his goals are. “Yes, as the season unfolds, -- we are going to oversee things further efficiently in terms of being economically responsible -- in terms of having a discipline -- less is further mentality.
In a major development, … But I have seen a lot of instances where he stayed as willing to throw substantial money on the table in order to support this lineup -- in order to situate it on the floor -- in order to generate us a winner.” Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cronin named upon a scenario at the trade deadline that he presented to Dundon.
Demonstrating excellence, It remained noted throughout the event that ve launched us into the tax -- narrow to the inaugural apron -- ought to. [Dundon], interestingly, is likely to.
while at the same time observers mentioned that ve procured a nice young asset In, building on previous success, a noteworthy performance, Reports from the scene indicate that Yep -- do it.
In, as reported, a noteworthy performance, he is going to position money into this side whenever it is necessary.'“ Cronin commented he and Dundon have had dialogue about buying into this year’s draft using cash. Dundon, in a display of pure skill, -- unprompted -- bought the organization a new hyperbaric oxygen chamber -- according to Cronin.
Showcasing great determination, “So there is a lot of spending fallacies about him,” Cronin expressed. “he is going to spend when it touches the players, and the players are constantly going to be supported.”
Analysis provided by our sports desk. Professional statistics are subject to official verification.
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