Portland Trail Blazers firing Neil Olshey is too little, too late

PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 20: President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Moda Center on October 20, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 20: President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Moda Center on October 20, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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Portland Trail Blazers, Neil Olshey
PORTLAND, OREGON – DECEMBER 13: President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey of the Portland Trail Blazers watches the action from the stands during the game against the Sacramento Kings at Moda Center on December 13, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

In a move that came out of nowhere, but also has seemed to be a possibility for a long time, the Portland Trail Blazers announced on Friday that they had parted ways with General Manager Neil Olshey.

Or, perhaps more correctly, the news was broken by the reputable sources on Twitter who feed us all of the relevant NBA information. Olshey was ultimately let go for violating codes of conduct, but that was just the final nail in a coffin that was lowered into the ground long ago.

Olshey somehow lasted 10 seasons as the GM of the Trail Blazers, and if that somehow seems harsh, then you only need to look back over the tenure of Olshey to see that it really isn’t.

Portland Trail Blazers firing Neil Olshey is too little, too late

The Trail Blazers might be a small market team, and Olshey and the front office did work well within the confines of that to create a competitive roster, but there were too many fatal missteps.

In the end the firing of Olshey is welcome news to fans of the franchise, but it is also unfortunately too little, too late.

We’ve already reached the point in the conversation where Damian Lillard looks increasingly likely to eventually suit up for another organization. He has not said this publicly, and truthfully the guy is all class and one of the best professionals in the game, but he is also 31. At an age where winning is everything, and why he deserves the chance to do so elsewhere as well.