Joe Cronin has developed a pretty good reputation among Blazers fans, and for good reason. He's been willing to take risks in the draft and in trades and it's set the Blazers up for future success. He's added Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan in the past few years — a pretty impressive resume in his tenure as Blazers GM.
In 2025, he pulled up for a heat check by trading back and drafting Yang Hansen in the first round of the draft. Hansen has become a fan-favorite in Portland, and understandably so, but from a strictly basketball standpoint, this was a home run swing with a real possibility of striking out.