Portland coach Nate McMillan could have greater influence in personnel decisions now that GM Steve Patterson resigned. The leading candidate to fill the position is Kevin Pritchard, the Blazers' current director of player personnel.

"We plan to talk about that in the next couple of weeks," McMillan said. "The GM is going to be the GM, and the president is going to be the president. Their job is to bring in talent and evaluate and do all that.

"Talking to my agent about this before I came (to Portland), unless you have that title, most coaches are coaches. They don't have a lot of say or involvement in the decisions that GMs or presidents make. They talk to you sometimes or sometimes they don't."

McMillan would like to have some input though.

"Are you going to make the final decision? No," he said. "I think that is the GM's decision and the president's. But I think a voice is what you want to have as far as building a team."