Blazers Hire Andrae Patterson As Assistant GM

[BNM]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/265434/Blazers-Hire-Andrae-Patterson-As-Assistant-GM

"The Portland Trail Blazers have hired Andrae Patterson as assistant general manager.

Patterson is the first significant hire since Joe Cronin became interim general manager. Cronin is being given the opportunity by Portland ownership to add to the front office despite his interim status.

Patterson has been Senior Director of Basketball Operations for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Patterson also spent four years in the front office of the Utah Jazz. "

Other than what's mentioned in the article, does anyone know anything about Patterson? Both Utah and CLE have built pretty solid teams. I wonder how much Patterson had to do with that.

On the other hand, the last Patterson we had in the POR front office was pretty cringe worthy:

[Village Idiot]

Interesting that an interim is allowed to bring in an assistant. I wonder if this is also an interim position. I would imagine that if Cronin doesn't end up getting the gig permanently that Patterson might also just be on a temporary deal. Wasn't there somebody on our own front-office staff that might have stepped in? Did Olshey strip that cupboard bare to minimize challengers?

[BNM]

Interesting that an interim is allowed to bring in an assistant. I wonder if this is also an interim position. I would imagine that if Cronin doesn't end up getting the gig permanently that Patterson might also just be on a temporary deal. Wasn't there somebody on our own front-office staff that might have stepped in? Did Olshey strip that cupboard bare to minimize challengers?

I seriously doubt Patterson would have left a secure role in CLE, where he was highly respected and helped build one of the best young teams in the league to take an interim position in POR. I haven't seen any details, but I bet he got a nice raise and a multi-year deal to leave CLE for POR.