Trail Blazers News: Joe Cronin Earns Major Leaguewide Respect for Big Transactions

Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin earned a pair of NBA Basketball Executive of the Year second-place votes by a panel of his fellow league front office members, according to NBA Communications.

The top three finishers were Minnesota Timberwolves team president Tim Connelly (four first place votes, two second place votes, and three third place votes), Oklahoma City Thunder president Sam Presti (four first place votes, seven second place votes and six third place votes), and the winner, Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens (16 first place votes, six second place votes, and three third place votes).

Stevens, of course, was the beneficiary of Cronin's second major transaction of the 2023 offseason. After Cronin flipped All-Star point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for All-Star combo guard Jrue Holiday, he traded Holiday to the Boston Celtics, helping create the best team in the Eastern Conference.

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