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10 best NBA front offices

By John Buhler

Jan 16, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti watches college basketball between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti watches college basketball between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 22, 2014; Ontario, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts talks with guard C.J. McCollum (3) and guard Damian Lillard (0) in the second quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2014; Ontario, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts talks with guard C.J. McCollum (3) and guard Damian Lillard (0) in the second quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

The Portland Trail Blazers were supposed to be a terrible basketball team in 2015-16. Small market Portland lost four of its five starters on a solid 2015 Western Conference Playoffs team in 2015 NBA free agency. All that remained were point guard Damian Lillard, key reserve shooting guard C.J. McCollum, and an unwavering front office that wasn’t going to settle for a projected 20+ win season.

Behind owner Paul Allen, general manager Neil Olshey, and head coach Terry Stotts, the Lillard/McCollum 2015-16 Trail Blazers not only won more than 20 games, but played a competitive second-round series against the juggernaut Golden State Warriors. Portland was an outstanding No. 5 seed and are probably one of the eight best teams in the NBA entering 2016-17.

This ability to reload is a testament to the fantastic basketball culture in place in the Pacific Northwest. Portland knows that it won’t land the best free agents in a small market city where it rains all the time. However, they operate with great pragmatism in their offseason acquisitions, while getting the most out of its players with a strong player development program.

Small market teams where the NBA team is king tend to have elite front offices, as there is seemingly no excuse to not be all-in on making the city’s lone professional team great. Otherwise, Portlanders will focus all attention on the Pac-12’s Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, or the MLS’ Portland Timbers.

To have survived that mass exodus last summer in free agency to field a 45+ win team the very next year is proof that the pieces in place within Trail Blazers front office makes them one of the best organizations in the NBA. Their ability to thrive amidst adversity makes it really hard to not cheer for this Portland collective. Lillard is a superstar, McCollum is a top 25 player, and Portland should be a fun team to watch next season.

Next: 4. Oklahoma City Thunder.

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