The Atlanta Hawks, reportedly, reached out to the Portland Trail Blazers to seek permission to speak with Neil Olshey regarding Atlanta’s GM opening.
The Atlanta Hawks are trying to lure a big fish into their front office.
According to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hawks sought permission from the Portland Trail Blazers to speak with Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey. But Portland denied that request.
Sources: Atlanta requested the opportunity to talk with Portland GM Neil Olshey about its vacant GM job, but was denied permission.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 19, 2017
The Hawks have been searching for a new lead executive ever since reassigning former GM Wes Wilcox and stripping head coach Mike Budenholzer of his president’s duties. Olshey is as big of a name that the team could target.
Olshey has served in Portland since 2012 and began rebuilding that franchise almost immediately. In his first month on the job, Olshey drafted Damian Lillard with the sixth pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. Also before his first regular season began, he hired Terry Stotts as the Blazers’ head coach.
Ever since then, Portland has been on the upswing. Olshey drafted CJ McCollum with the tenth selection in the following summer’s draft in 2013 and that pick forged one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA.
Hawks search is ongoing, but probing on Olshey shows a possible willingness to spend significant money for elite executives. https://t.co/AmjckNXpr8
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 19, 2017
While the Blazers have some highly paid role players on their roster, such as Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe, there are several excellent pieces around Lillard. This year’s trade for Jusuf Nurkic appears to be an excellent one. Pieces like Maurice Harkless, Noah Vonleh, and Al-Farouq Aminu have also done well after Olshey brought them in.
Next: Justin Patton Makes Sense For The Hawks
While the Hawks were rejected in their request to speak to Olshey, this shows that ownership is not playing around in its search for a new GM. They are willing to go after anyone, including the men who are safe and successful in their current jobs.