The Portland Trail Blazers are soon expected to fire general manager Kevin Pritchard, a league source informed The Columbian.
Messages left Thursday for Pritchard and his agent, Warren LeGarie, were not returned.
While questions about Pritchard’s future have hovered since Tom Penn, ex-Blazers vice president of basketball operations, was fired March 16, it was widely expected that Pritchard would at least keep his job through June.
Pritchard played a key role in the Blazers’ preparations for the 2010 NBA Draft, which was held Thursday evening in New York.
He is under contract through 2010-11, with a team option for 2012.
Pritchard spent the period leading up to the draft closely working with longtime friends and Blazer scouts, Michael Born and Chad Buchanan, seeking to improve an organization that has posted back-to-back 50-win seasons and earned consecutive playoff appearances.
Meanwhile, Portland used a search firm, Spencer Stuart, to evaluate possible replacements for Pritchard, sources said. The firm has reportedly contacted Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti, San Antonio GM R.C. Buford and former Cleveland GM Danny Ferry during the search process.
A Spencer Stuart representative said the firm would neither deny nor confirm the report.
Reached by phone, Buford and Ferry said they could not comment about the report.
However, Buford did make a point to back Pritchard.
“Kevin still has a job, and I don’t think people should interfere,” Buford said Wednesday.
Ferry chose not to re-sign with the Cavaliers on June 4. He is under contract through July 1.
Presti denied June 8 interviewing for the position.
Spencer Stuart was recently used by the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks during a search process that eventually led to the Seahawks hiring Pete Carroll as head coach in January.
Paul Allen owns the Blazers and Seahawks.
