Trail Blazers Hire ESPN’s Mike Schmitz As Assistant General Manager

The NBA draft analyst will begin his duties in Portland in July.

The Trail Blazers are reportedly hiring ESPN NBA draft analyst Mike Schmitz to be an assistant general manager, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Schmitz will reportedly be leading Portland’s domestic and international scouting departments. Joe Cronin, the Trail Blazers new general manager, went after Schmitz for his well-known ability to scout collegiate level players.

Schmitz, who has served as a draft analyst at ESPN since 2017, has spent time on various continents finding elite talent. Currently, he serves as an assistant coach for the Uganda national team. His skills and connections are something that Cronin hopes will be an asset for shaping the Trail Blazers’ roster moving forward, per Wojnarowski.

The 32-year-old will begin his duties with Portland in July while staying at ESPN through the 2022 NBA draft on June 23. Prior to ESPN, Schmitz worked as a video coordinator for DraftExpress and for the NBA G-League Bakersfield Jam.

Schmitz’s move comes just weeks after Cronin was named the team’s 11th general manager . 

The Trail Blazers finished the 2021–22 season with a 27–55 record, third-worst in the Western Conference.