Clippers promote Gary Sacks

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LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers have promoted Gary Sacks to the role of vice president of basketball operations, the team announced Tuesday.

Sacks, who was the Clippers' director of player personnel, takes over for Neil Olshey, who left the team in the offseason to become the Portland Trail Blazers' general manager.

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"Gary has been a valuable and loyal member of our organization for the past 18 years," Clippers president Andy Roeser said in a statement. "His recent role this very productive summer, as well as his many contributions during the course of his tenure made it clear that he is the right person to lead our basketball operations department."

Sacks is beginning his 19th season with the Clippers, serving in the role of director of player personnel for the past two seasons and as director of scouting/assistant director of player personnel for the previous five seasons.

"I'm excited to take on this new role with the organization," Sacks said in a statement. "We have a very strong roster with great depth of talent. I look forward to helping to build on the success we had last season. I am very excited to see how far we can go this year, plus we are well positioned for the future.

"I appreciate the confidence that Mr. (Donald) Sterling has placed in me, and I look forward to continuing to work with (Clippers' coach) Vinny (Del Negro) and Andy."

Last week, Clippers forward Blake Griffin credited the team's strong offseason, in which the team has acquired Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford and Grant Hill and re-signed Chauncey Billups, in large part to Sacks, who he said should have replaced Olshey after he left for Portland.

"I think Gary has put in his time," Griffin said. "He's been with the Clippers for a long time and you see the job he did in stepping in for Neil when he left and the job he's done with the program. All the players love him. He definitely has the player's vote for GM.

"If he doesn't get the GM job I'll be shocked and a little disappointed because I think he deserves it and I think everybody else thinks he deserves it. We're behind Gary 100 percent and hope it's going to be him."

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Arash Markazi

ESPNLosAngeles.com

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• Former columnist and writer after five years with Sports Illustrated
• Markazi has also written for Slam, King, Vibe and Playboy
• On board of directors for Jim Murray Memorial Foundation.