Former Trail Blazers GM Reportedly Declined Pistons’ Potential Offer

The Detroit Pistons are on the hunt for a new front office leader. While the team’s current General Manager Troy Weaver remains in his seat, Pistons ownership decided it would be best to bring in somebody to oversee the operation as a President of Basketball Operations.

Detroit’s search has been going on for weeks now, and it appears there have been some complications along the way.

Last week, it became apparent that the Milwaukee Bucks were not going to grant the Pistons permission to interview their executive Jon Horst for the position.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, former Portland Trail Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey is another prospect the Pistons pursued — and they were unsuccessful in luring him in.

Unlike Horst, Olshey is available currently. After he became Portland’s GM in 2012, Olshey held that position until 2021, when the Blazers parted ways with him.

The former Portland GM got his start in the NBA in 2003, when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers’ front office as a director of player personnel. He was promoted to the Assistant GM position in 2008, and promoted once more in 2010 before leaving for Portland.

It’s unclear what Olshey’s future plans are, but it appears a move to Detroit is not on his agenda.

While the Pistons are in the position of a rebuild with some favorable assets — including plenty of cap space and a top-five pick — it’s clear Detroit still has a long way to go before they can turn the direction of the organization around.

Just last season, the Pistons finished with a league-worst 14-68 record. They haven’t achieved at least 20 wins since the 2021-2022 season. The last time they made the playoffs was back in 2019, when they were swept in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Pistons have their eyes on a handful of candidates, beyond Horst and Olshey. On Monday, The Athletic reported that at least five prospects are on the radar, including Minnesota’s Tim Connelly and Dallas’ Dennis Lindsey.

Over the next few weeks, Detroit is expected to make a hire.