Rich Cho Headed To Portland
Oklahoma City Thunder Assistant General Manager Rich Cho has been hired by Portland to fill the Trail Blazers’ open general manager job, the Blazers announced Monday.
Cho will replace Kevin Pritchard, who was fired on draft night last month.
The departure ends weeks of speculation centered on Cho and completes a scenario first reported as a possibility by The Oklahoman in March.
“Rich is the perfect fit for our organization,” Blazers president Larry Miller said in a release. “He has the right balance of basketball acumen and tremendous people skills.
“Everyone I spoke to about Rich commented not just on his qualifications but on who he is as a person. He is well known for his ability to connect genuinely with people. Rich will be a great fit for our organization and for Portland. He is an executive on the rise and we’re thrilled to have him as a Trail Blazer.”
Cho was as integral as any person in the Thunder’s organization. He spent 12 seasons with the Thunder/Sonics franchise. Last season, he handled contract negotiations, salary cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement matters, player contracts and all player personnel issues.
Cho had a hand in coups such as Thabo Sefolosha’s contract extension last October, a deal that helped OKC avoid having the defensive stopper’s restricted free agency tie up its salary cap room this summer, Nenad Krstic’s offer sheet last season that New Jersey couldn’t afford to match and the lopsided financially-motivated trade with Utah that brought Eric Maynor to town.
Cho also overseas operations for the Thunder-owned Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League.
The Thunder still has Assistant General Manager Troy Weaver, another fast-rising basketball man, and it’s unclear whether Thunder General Manager Sam Presti will replace Cho.
“I am extremely humbled and grateful for this opportunity, and I will do everything I can to help this great team get even better,” said Cho. “When I met with Mr. (Paul) Allen, Larry Miller and coach (Nate) McMillan, it was immediately apparent to me that this organization has an incredible commitment to winning.
“As someone who grew up in the northwest, I’m aware of the unbelievable passion and support that Trail Blazers fans have, and I’m excited to be a part of this rich tradition.”
Cho, 44, grew up outside of Seattle and is taking the reins of a roster that is the Thunder’s foremost rival as the league’s best young team. The Blazers currently have Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batum, rookie Luke Babbitt and veterans Marcus Camby and Andre Miller.
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Comments
Sad to see Mr. Cho go; however, he’s got some big shoes to fill behind Kevin Pritchard.
The injury bug is what caused Pritchard to lose his job. Pritchard will come back to haunt Portland in some way or another!
I think Portland has a very meddlesom owner in Paul Allen who resides in Seattle.
Let’s wish Cho the best; he was a great addition to the Thunder, I’m sure his replacement is already being considered.
as long as we keep Presti, we’re cool.