PORTLAND, Ore. — Oklahoma
City assistant general manager Rich Cho has been named the new GM of the
Portland Trail Blazers.
Cho, 44, has been assistant for
the Thunder for the past nine seasons. The northwest native joined the
team as an intern when the franchise was based in Seattle.
"Everyone I spoke to about Rich
commented not just on his qualifications but on who he is as a person,"
Blazers president Larry Miller said in a statement. "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."
Terms of the contract with Cho
were not disclosed. The Blazers scheduled a news conference on Monday to
discuss the appointment.
Cho replaces Kevin Pritchard, who
helped usher the team out of the Jail Blazers era but was fired shortly
before the NBA draft last month.
During his time in Seattle Cho
worked closely with Microsoft to develop a comprehensive player
evaluation system. A member of the Washington State Bar, he also served
as a vice president in charge of legal affairs for the SuperSonics from
2005-07, handling issues including licensing agreements and employment
contracts.
"He has been the most sought
after NBA executive over the past couple of years," said Blazers coach
Nate McMillan, who worked with Cho in Seattle. "He can get deals done
and make things happen.
"Next steps will be to finalize
my coaching staff. I hope to make that announcement later this week"
Cho, who also has worked at
Boeing, is a graduate of Washington State. He attended law school at
Pepperdine.