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If they want him they're gonna have to offer him more then just a GM position. Otherwise, why on earth would he leave LA where he holds the same position to be the same on a losing team? Its a joke.
Marc Stein: Just going on air/online: ESPN sources say Blazers have strong interest in interviewing Lakers' Mitch Kupchak for GM job. Link in next tweetMarc Stein: Online link to ESPN's latest with @Chris_Broussard on Portland's interest in Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak: http://es.pn/JjAsCSNo Portland, you're not taking Mitch Kupchak away.Sources: Blazers eye Mitch Kupchak
The Portland Trail Blazers have strong interest in interviewing Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak for their GM vacancy, according to sources familiar with Portland's thinking.
Kupchak is one of the Blazers' top targets, sources told ESPN.com, in their quest to land an executive with experience running a franchise's basketball operations.
It remains to be seen, however, whether the Lakers would be willing to grant Portland permission to speak to Kupchak, who has spent more than 25 years in L.A.'s front office. Kupchak took over for Jerry West as the club's lead decision-maker in the basketball department in the summer of 2000 before gradually ceding that status to Jim Buss, who serves as the Lakers' executive vice president of player personnel.
Blazers president Larry Miller could not be immediately reached for comment and Kupchak did not immediately respond to messages left by ESPN.com.
Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that Kupchak's latest contract with the Lakers is a lucrative multiyear deal. But Jim Buss -- son of longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss -- is widely perceived to have the deciding vote on basketball matters with the Lakers and is regarded as the driving force not only behind the drafting of Andrew Bynum in 2005 but also L.A.'s decision to hire Mike Brown as Phil Jackson's replacement over Rick Adelman. And that has spawned a growing belief among several of Kupchak's peers that the architect of the Pau Gasol trade in 2008 that ultimately led to two championships would have some interest in listening to outside proposals.
The Blazers are known to have already pursued TNT analyst Steve Kerr for their GM vacancy. The former Phoenix Suns executive has repeatedly declined comment about his interest in the position, but John Canzano of the Oregonian newspaper reported this week that Kerr could still be tempted if Blazers owner Paul Allen offered him Portland's coaching job in addition to say over personnel matters. That's similar to the arrangement Gregg Popovich has in San Antonio alongside Spurs president R.C. Buford. Kerr has said in the past that he wants to try coaching when he leaves television to return to a team job in the future. Allen currently employs both an interim coach (Kaleb Canales) and GM (Chad Buchanan) after the February dismissal of Nate McMillan as coach.
The younger Buss, in an interview this week with ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin, insisted that he has a strong working relationship with Kupchak and that he still relies heavily on Kupchak's input and experience, which raises questions about how willing the Lakers would be to let Kupchak join another team in the same conference.
"Oh, it's healthy," Buss said of his relationship with Kupchak. "We couldn't survive if we were yes men to each other or to my dad. The three of us will have an opinion, we'll argue our opinion and then eventually, it gets hashed out to where we're all on board or one guy isn't (and) two are and it doesn't really matter which two or which one. Except for my dad. If it's two against him, then we'll probably lose that battle."
Buss added: "I lean on a lot of people, as far as Mitch's knowledge. I rely on a lot of peoples' opinions from top to bottom. I've always done that. My entire career and everything I've done is rely on people who are experts. I've had no problem taking opinions from Mitch, Kobe, Magic, it doesn't matter ... Phil Jackson. Then I process it. If I have a gut feeling, sometimes I'll go with the gut feeling, but most often it's basically through a long process of thinking and getting opinions."
Buss, though, disputes the notion that he is the reason that the Lakers hired Brown, telling ESPNLosAngeles.com: "The Mike Brown decision was not my decision only. It was a collective unit and that was Mitch, my father and I. We went through the interview process, which, I'm sure you're aware of who they were. It wasn't my decision. People label that, I'm not sure why. I guess because they just want to. I'm not sure where that came from. It was a collective agreement that he was very impressive. We love his attention to detail. We felt that he was a fit for these kind of players and I have no regrets whatsoever."
In addition to Kerr, Yahoo! Sports reported earlier this month that the Blazers have interviewed player agent Noam Croom for the GM vacancy, which has been filled on an interim basis by Buchanan since May 2011, when Rich Cho's tenure as Kevin Pritchard's replacement lasted only one season. Croom was an assistant general manager with the Grizzlies in both Vancouver and Memphis from 1995-2000 before becoming an agent.
Allen said via Twitter recently that reports suggesting he is entertaining offers to sell the franchise are "absolutely false.
If they want him they're gonna have to offer him more then just a GM position. Otherwise, why on earth would he leave LA where he holds the same position to be the same on a losing team? Its a joke.
atPortland thinking that a GM who drafted a center with broken knees will be the right fit
LOL Jim Buss
After his Odom debacle his scrutiny isn't above reproach.
cant side wit you here on this one, I too think letting Lamar go was silly but his meltdown was real. I would of waited him out but with the way he got all emo you cant say that was a mistake on Mitch's part...
Troy Murphy on the other hand ...Steve Blake ....
Of course it was. Kupchak is the adult. Odom the child. Let him take his temper tantrum, then give him a choice:::go home, or, report to work. Then walk away. Now if the whole things was a dog & pony show in order to get rid of Odom then that's between Buss & Kupchak and we're living in ignorance.
You mother whoring Italian n!gger!
Orlando joins in the quest to pry Mitch Kupchak away from Los Angeles:
Magic to begin scheduling GM interviews Friday
The Orlando Magic will begin scheduling interviews for their general manager position Friday and hope to have an executive in place within three weeks, league sources told CBSSports.com.
Among the characteristics said to be most prized by Magic CEO Alex Martins is championship experience. So while there have been no public indications that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak will be available or wants to leave Los Angeles, Kupchak is expected to be among the first wave of candidates the Magic pursue, one of the sources said.
In addition to reaching out to free-agent candidates, the team's list also will include executives who are under contract with other teams. Martins also is expected to begin contacting teams Friday to ask permission to interview such candidates, and Kupchak -- with multiple championships on his resume -- will be among the obvious targets, sources said.
Kupchak has one year left on his contract, and made it clear after the Lakers were ousted in the second round for the second consecutive year that there will be some changes in the organization. Hiring Kupchak is not without hurdles -- front-office sources find it difficult to imagine him leaving Southern California -- but if the opportunity is right, the changes Kupchak alluded to could involve him.
Much better choice than Shaq, obviously
After the Magic showed interest in Shaq, all credibility should go out of the window.
That Magic org is a ing joke and whoever ends up as the new GM clearly wont mind working with scrubs.
I can see him leaving LA, if they offer him full control.
Otis Smith ed up when he didnt keep Alston, Hedo, Pietrus and Lee
That roster had a great chemistry
ing idiot
Do it Mitch!
Obviously no one could lure him away under normal cir stances. Do you think your moron owner has made him want to leave?
Why do people want Mitch?
Mitch can't even build a contender with tons of money, the 15th best player of all time who is all NBA and all defensive team & a big who's an all star and all NBA.
DPG's schtick is already tiring and repe ive, just like Giuseppe.
That's how it feels when you rag on the Spurs all the time.
It's not a shtick, dummy. What did I say that was trolling? Please prove it wrong.
Did Kobe not have two top 5 bigs? Is that not the most important thing in the nba? Do you think Kobe is top 10 of all time? If you say yes, what other top 10 player in the history of the game has had two top 5 current bigs and was not a contender?
You'll cop out and claim "shtick" but the reality is you don't have an answer.
Top 5 bigs? We shut them down no problem. Methinks, you overestimate the Lakers front-court and under-estimate Kobe.
Is DPG a insecure poster?
Hi DD
Sometimes, thunderstorm. He can be a good poster when he is not Kobe hating ... Welcome to the forum, btw ...
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