I predict that it probably isn't really John's choice, given how Jody and Vulcan execs like Kolde run the Blazers.
McGowan wanted a bigger voice to help with messaging, but Jody Allen didn't give him the same support her brother did.
theathletic.com
As Jody Allen — the sister of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen — refuses to sell her NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers, insiders allege a history of “toxic behavior” from the owne…
nypost.com
Pete very well might've been insulating the organization from... a good bit.
My guess is that John's going to be pushed to agree with a certain direction, whatever it may be. Outside of the coach, they're probably going to want a big name at quarterback for fan interest. This feels like it'll be the start of some ownership meddling. Could just be my pessimism, but I'm starting to connect some dots I didn't want to.
I don't place too much credence on those articles. They're hit pieces. Probably commissioned by Knight to instigate a pressure campaign to get Jody to sell him the Blazers. Google shows a bunch of near duplicate articles that are written using Yellow tactics.
First one basically says:
PA was very involved. Up to 25 texts a day. Jody doesn't care***. Knight wanted to buy. Jody said no. Knight wanted to talk her into it. Jody said stop wasting my time***. Some guy was a jackoff and McG asked Jody for more more authority. Jody said no***. PA LOVED McG, but Jody is mean to him. McG butthurt and quit. Waaaaah, Jody Bad! says McG. Waaaaah, Jody is ruining the Blazers so the NBA should make her sell them to me! says Knight.
***note: the article never mentions Vulcan and Kolde, or that Jody has delegated Blazer management to them. She cannot hands-on manage everything in the Estate. It's too much, by far, for one person.
The second article is even better:
Knight offered Jody BILLIONS for the Blazers, but Jody is a smuggler and a sexual harasser! This happened in Africa or somewhere, and she's not involved in managing the team***, but it's making everything toxic. OK, we'll finally admit that Kolde is in charge and Jody has nothing to do with any of this, but some guy said that Jody was making a mistake not selling the team, and McG got butthurt and quit because Jody told him to talk to Kolde because she's not managing the team. Knight and a player wanted to talk with Jody and she said "For the bazillionth time, I DON'T MANAGE THE TEAM!!! TALK TO KOLDE, ALREADY!!!" Oh yeah, don't forget a bunch of her security guys said she wanted them to wear Speedos! They sued her for a billion bucks but she settled out of court because she's a crazy sexual harrasser. They also testified that
she smuggled ivory and shit she brought some Giraffe bones back, and that they heard rumors but had never witnessed illegal ivory smuggling activity. String. Her. Up. She is such a threat with all her sexual crazy crap and her international smuggling activity that she should be nowhere near the Blazers. Make her sell the Blazers to Knight!
If this isn't typical Yellow Journalism then I have no idea what it is. I wonder how much Knight paid for this crap?