How long will it take Portland Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey to rebuild the team?
Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey has to rebuild a team that looked like a championship contender last season. That's not fun, but it's the situation he finds himself in after losing LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez in free agency, then trading Nicolas Batum to the Charlotte Hornets for Mason Plumlee and Noah Vonleh.
There are two important questions now: 1) How long will the rebuild take, and 2) how much time does Olshey have to get it done?
Here's SB Nation's Blazer's Edge with their opinion. Obviously, these questions can't be answered without mentioning Damian Lillard:
"Thus far, Lillard has voiced complete confidence in the franchise, and a love for the city and its fans, but if Portland is a non-contender in 2021 his attitude may change. Lillard is a media darling, but if the team has no postseason victories between now and 2021, the buzz around Portland's star will shift; 0.9 will be seen as a lucky fluke, and a lack of playoff success will lead to him being compared to other talented, but ultimately unsuccessful, all-stars. Think Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Playing for a perennial loser would also negatively impact Lillard's ability to make all-star or All-NBA teams. With only one playoff moment on his resume he will be seen as a "good stats on a bad team" type of player, a la Kevin Love in Minnesota or Tracy McGrady in Orlando. Under those circumstances, it is hard to imagine Lillard staying in Portland despite his professed love for the city and its fans."
It's just a little early to worry about Lillard bolting for a larger market, considering his five-year maximum contract hasn't even started yet. Olshey is armed with cap space, a bunch of young, low-cost prospects and rotation players and Lillard—a star.
But he's operating in a market that isn't traditionally the most attractive for free agents. Rebuilds can take a very long time, and it'll be interesting to see how much owner Paul Allen gives Olshey to see it through.
(h/t: Blazer's Edge)
