Report: Knicks' Scott Perry, Bulls' Marc Eversley Candidates for Blazers GM Job
December 3, 2021
New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry and Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley are reportedly candidates for the Portland Trail Blazers' vacant GM position following the firing of Neil Olshey.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, both Perry and Eversley are "expected to be considered" as part of Portland's GM search. Joe Cronin is currently serving as interim general manager.
The Blazers announced the firing of Olshey on Friday following an investigation into allegations that he created a hostile work environment that included bullying and intimidation.
Olshey had been the Blazers general manager since 2012 and he also served as president of basketball operations. During Olshey's tenure, Portland reached the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons, but it only got past the first round three times.
The Blazers are off to an uneven 11-12 start this season. However, the presence of Damian Lillard could make the GM job an attractive one.
Perry has been the Knicks general manager since 2017, and he helped build a roster that reached the playoffs last season as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. That ended a seven-year playoff drought for New York.
While going from the 11-11 Knicks to the 11-12 Blazers could be considered a lateral move for Perry, it may be worth it if he is given more control over personnel decisions.
With the Knicks, Perry is not the chief decision-maker in the front office, as that distinction belongs to team president Leon Rose.
Eversley was named the Bulls GM last year after front-office stints with the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.
Chicago acquired guards DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball this past offseason, adding them to a core that already included Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.
That group has helped the Bulls become one of the biggest surprise teams in the NBA this season, as they are second in the Eastern Conference at 15-8 after missing the playoffs in each of the previous four campaigns.
Like Perry, Eversley doesn't have carte blanche over roster decisions in Chicago, however, as he must work with vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
If Perry or Eversley is looking for a bigger role, the Blazers could offer that given how much power Olshey had within the organization before his firing.