How Will GM Neil Olshey's Departure Impact Chris Paul's Future with LA Clippers?
Just days after agreeing to a new contract in principle, general manager Neil Olshey and the Los Angeles Clippers are now heading in opposite directions. According to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, the two sides couldn't seal the deal:
"Clippers and GM Neil Olshey announce they have mutually agreed to part ways.
"
"— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) June 5, 2012"
Broderick Turner of the LA Times is reporting that Olshey will instead oversee the Portland Trail Blazers' next chapter.
That's good news for Portland, but it leaves the Clippers in something of a lurch going into the offseason.
At a time when acquiring and retaining talent is crucial to keeping Chris Paul happy, an unstable front office may be the last thing this franchise needs. After all, it was Olshey who constructed a largely rebuilt roster with the likes of Paul, Caron Butler, Nick Young and Kenyon Martin.
The Clippers' new regime will have to make decisions on free agents like Young, Martin and Reggie Evans.
And it goes without saying there will be pressure to improve a roster that struggled in the first round of the postseason and was eventually swept in the second. Chauncey Billups' future is uncertain, and Los Angeles may need to find help from outside the organization.
That won't be especially easy without a first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
Paul may indeed intend to remain with Clippers for the long haul, but there's no guarantee that sentiment will endure if this club takes a step backward.
After all, this is the guy who tired of mediocrity in New Orleans. He just might feel the same way if the Clippers struggle to surround him with adequate talent.
Of course, there's no reason to believe they'll be unable to do so—at least not yet.
The pressure will be on this organization to find a starting shooting guard, and there's no telling how much longer guys like Butler and Martin can play at their current levels (assuming Martin even sticks around).
As long as Blake Griffin is at Paul's side, this team will boast a formidable core. The challenge will be surrounding that core with the right pieces, meaning someone competent will need to fill Olshey's shoes fast.
