Freeman: Blazers to end single-affiliate partnership with Idaho Stampede
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports that the Portland Trail Blazers will no longer have a single-affiliate partnership with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA’s Development League.
Following the 2013-14 season, the Blazers will end their “hybrid” relationship with their NBA Development League partners in Boise and pair up with a different minor league franchise.It’s unknown what D-League affiliate the NBA will assign to the Blazers next season, but it will be a joint relationship that includes multiple NBA teams.“We recognize the value in having a single affiliate in the NBA Development League, but at this time, we aren’t in a position to maximize that value,” Blazers general manager Neil Olshey said. “So, we’ve decided to end our single-affiliation with the Idaho Stampede after this season. We’ve had an excellent working relationship with the Stampede, and wish the organization nothing but the best.”
Read the rest of it to get more of Olshey’s thoughts on why he doesn’t feel like the single-affiliate model is the best for the Blazers. He also believes greatly in the player development of his current coaching staff.
Erik Gundersen
Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.