SI

Trail Blazers Extend GM Joe Cronin Amid Season-Long Improvement

Portland appears back on track after the Damian Lillard trade.

Patrick Andres

Joe Cronin watches the Trail Blazers warm up before a game against the Pelicans.
Joe Cronin watches the Trail Blazers warm up before a game against the Pelicans. / Soobum Im-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Portland Trail Blazers have enjoyed solid improvement in 2025 after several down years—and general manager Joe Cronin appears set to reap the rewards.

Cronin has agreed to an extension with the Trail Blazers, according to a Monday afternoon report from Shams Charania of ESPN.

The 49-year-old executive is in his fourth year as Portland's top executive, having assumed the position full-time in the spring of 2022. When he took over, the Trail Blazers were barreling toward a 27-55 season—their worst by winning percentage since 2006.

Their fortunes have vacillated in the years since—and have been overshadowed in general by their 2023 trade of guard Damian Lillard—but appear on the uptick as the regular season comes to a close.

Portland is 35-44 on the year—its best record since 2021—and has coaxed capable play out of a number of young players. Chief among them are forward Deni Avdija, forward Toumani Camara, and guard Anfernee Simons.

It appears Cronin will stick around to see the fate of his new young core.

More NBA on Sports Illustrated

Published
Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

Home/NBA