Hawks seeking new direction and new PBO to lead them

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4 GM candidates every Hawks fan should know

The Hawks have an open position at the top of basketball operations

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One week ago, the Atlanta Hawks announced the surprising firing of general manager Landry Fields. As part of the same announcement, the club revealed that it would begin the search for a new president of basketball operations, hiring Sportsology Group to captain that process. In the days since, a lot of chatter has taken place about Atlanta's process and candidates who could potentially fill the vacancy.

Marc Stein reports that Hawks governor Tony Ressler "has indicated that he is willing to pay the going rate for a top-tier and experienced lead decision-maker." That is, at least on paper, an encouraging framing, but individuals meeting the outlined qualifications are not available in droves, and here is a look four names that could be in the mix.

Bob Myers

Spoiler:

Bob Myers, best known for his work as an executive with the Golden State Warriors, "has been mentioned as a potential target in Atlanta," according to a report from Marc Stein. At present, Myers is an analyst for ESPN, providing one obstacle, and Stein's reporting pointed to overall skepticism that Myers would jump to the Eastern Time Zone to take the job.

At the same time, he has an established track record that would check the boxes that the Hawks are seeking. Moreover, he is also a very big name in executive circles that would potentially appeal to Atlanta's ownership as the face of a new era.

Elton Brand

Spoiler:

In the immediate aftermath of Landry Fields' dismissal, Elton Brand was the first prominent name tied to the opening from a reporting standpoint. Brand's most high-profile role as an NBA executive came with the Philadelphia 76ers, as he was part of a braintrust there prior to Daryl Morey's hire earlier this decade.

Brand also has ties to Atlanta, having played for the organization. He also has played under head coach Quin Snyder and alongside assistant general manager Kyle Korver. Brand is a highly respected name in league circles, but it is also crucial to note that his track record in Philadelphia was spotty in terms of on-court impact.

Grant Hill

Spoiler:

Technically, Grant Hill is already part of the Hawks organization, as the former NBA All-Star owns a (very) small piece of the team after joining Ressler's ownership group during the bidding process. Still, Hill has his hands full between full-time analyst work on television and a well-documented stint running USA Basketball.

So, why is he on the list? Well, John Hollinger of The Athletic reports that "most plugged-in people think Ressler’s first choice to fill the job would be Hill, and that Hill would already have the job if he wanted it." Hollinger also noted that Ressler has sought counsel from Hill in the past, and perhaps there is a big enough financial number that might entice Hill into the roll on a permanent basis.

Onsi Saleh

Spoiler:

Perhaps the most interesting option for the Hawks might be to simply not hire anyone else at all. Onsi Saleh was elevated to the general manager role in the wake of Fields' firing, and the Hawks immediately announced that he "will oversee all day-to-day basketball operations for the team."

Saleh joined the organization a year ago, arriving from Golden State, and he is one of the more appealing young executives in the NBA world. He does not bring the level of senior experience that Ressler has specifically outlined, but Saleh does have an appealing blend of analytical, strategic, and personnel qualifications. He has also been a part of the group that has made a couple of clearly positive decisions over the last year, headlined by the selection of Zaccharie Risacher and the trade to net Dyson Daniels as part of the return for Dejounte Murray.

It might take the Hawks "striking out" on bigger names for Saleh to retain the top role, but it is clealry within the realm of possibility. After all, the Hawks are showing a great deal of commitment to Saleh, with Ressler noting in an official release that any hire will be "partnering with Onsi and our talented front office" as a top priority. It speaks well of Saleh that is firmly entrenched to that degree.

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Bob Myers and Tim Connelly are atop Atlanta’s wish list, league sources told HoopsHype. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves hope to sign Connelly to an extension this offseason. Myers is enjoying his role at ESPN, and many around the league believe it would take a significant salary and, more importantly, the perfect fit for him to return as an executive.

In addition, other candidates for Atlanta’s president position include Orlando Magic Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations John Hammond and NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and others potentially, league sources told HoopsHype.

The Stein Line also reported Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand as a candidate for Atlanta.

Hoopshype

[dms269]

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Bob Myers and Tim Connelly are atop Atlanta’s wish list, league sources told HoopsHype. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves hope to sign Connelly to an extension this offseason. Myers is enjoying his role at ESPN, and many around the league believe it would take a significant salary and, more importantly, the perfect fit for him to return as an executive.

In addition, other candidates for Atlanta’s president position include Orlando Magic Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations John Hammond and NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and others potentially, league sources told HoopsHype.

The Stein Line also reported Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand as a candidate for Atlanta.

Hoopshype

Myers and Hammond should be 1-2.
Connelly has had some ups (building the Denver core) and some downs (Gobert trade in giving up all those picks, the KAT trade as a money savings means).
SAR: Absolutely not. His time as an AGM in Sacramento was awful. They had multiple bad drafts and bad trades.
Brand: Seems like Philly fans want him gone, which can't be a good thing.

[CP War Hawks]

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Bob Myers and Tim Connelly are atop Atlanta’s wish list, league sources told HoopsHype. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves hope to sign Connelly to an extension this offseason. Myers is enjoying his role at ESPN, and many around the league believe it would take a significant salary and, more importantly, the perfect fit for him to return as an executive.

In addition, other candidates for Atlanta’s president position include Orlando Magic Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations John Hammond and NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and others potentially, league sources told HoopsHype.

The Stein Line also reported Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand as a candidate for Atlanta.

Hoopshype

Myers and Hammond should be 1-2.
Connelly has had some ups (building the Denver core) and some downs (Gobert trade in giving up all those picks, the KAT trade as a money savings means).
SAR: Absolutely not. His time as an AGM in Sacramento was awful. They had multiple bad drafts and bad trades.
Brand: Seems like Philly fans want him gone, which can't be a good thing.

Philly fans are that fanatic. He has proven the ability to get good players via trade. Has obvious connections, not the top guy, but on the end of the short list.

[HMFFL]

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Bob Myers and Tim Connelly are atop Atlanta’s wish list, league sources told HoopsHype. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves hope to sign Connelly to an extension this offseason. Myers is enjoying his role at ESPN, and many around the league believe it would take a significant salary and, more importantly, the perfect fit for him to return as an executive.

In addition, other candidates for Atlanta’s president position include Orlando Magic Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations John Hammond and NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and others potentially, league sources told HoopsHype.

The Stein Line also reported Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand as a candidate for Atlanta.

Hoopshype

The fan in me would like to see Shareef Abdur-Rahim with this team in a role. Probably not as the GM.

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[Jamaaliver]

As usual, I side with Brad on this. The list of applicants is not impressive.

I'd lean more towards Quin and Saleh working in tandem.

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[Jamaaliver]

I refer to this when someone mentions Danny Ferry. Danny has a 60% win percentage so he can find work but I hope it's not in Atlanta.

July 11, 2012: Traded Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets for Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro, DeShawn Stevenson, Jordan Williams, a 2013 1st round draft pick (Shane Larkin was later selected) and a 2017 2nd round draft pick (Frank Jackson was later selected).

I similarly do not want to see Danny Ferry back in charge of the Hawks.

Ferry was adept at tearing down a roster for spare parts...but his rebuild direction was unrealistic and ill conceived.

Hoping to attract Chris Paul and Dwight Howard to be the pillars of a Hawks revival was never an awesome idea...and the man is the worst drafting GM I've ever seen in Atlanta.

[jayu70]

I refer to this when someone mentions Danny Ferry. Danny has a 60% win percentage so he can find work but I hope it's not in Atlanta.

July 11, 2012: Traded Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets for Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro, DeShawn Stevenson, Jordan Williams, a 2013 1st round draft pick (Shane Larkin was later selected) and a 2017 2nd round draft pick (Frank Jackson was later selected).

I similarly do not want to see Danny Ferry back in charge of the Hawks.

Ferry was adept at tearing down a roster for spare parts...but his rebuild direction was unrealistic and ill conceived.

Hoping to attract Chris Paul and Dwight Howard to be the pillars of a Hawks revival was never an awesome idea...and the man is the worst drafting GM I've ever seen in Atlanta.

Was Ferry involved in the Dwight fiasco? Thought that was BudCox and Ressler interference pushing his input to get a 'star' that cost them Horford?

[Jamaaliver]

Was Ferry involved in the Dwight fiasco? Thought that was BudCox and Ressler interference pushing his input to get a 'star' that cost them Horford?

No. This was years before that debacle.

In summer 2013, a report leaked that Chris Paul and Dwight Howard had discussed forming their own super team.
Danny Ferry was already GM, had spent years dumping salary to position the Hawks as one of the only teams capable of making this move happen.

Then, IIRC, Hawks couldn't even get a sit down with Chris Paul's people.

Dwight Howard and Chris Paul have been in contact with each other in an effort to play for the same team next season, according to sources. Both Howard and Paul will be free agents for the first time in their careers this offseason.

"They would love to play together if somebody can make it happen," one of the sources said.

The Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks all have cap space, though acquiring both players would likely acquire both Howard and Paul to accept less than a full max contract. The Hawks would seemingly have the easiest path to sign both Howard and Paul under that scenario.

RealGM Wiretap -- June 2013

[jayu70]

Two other candidates who interviewed with Atlanta this week, according to league sources, to replace the ousted Landry Fields: Former Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth and former Kings general manager Monte McNair.
Source: marcstein.substack.com

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Hawks are eyeing recently fired execs to run their front office

The reported candidate pool for the Hawks front office opening isn't inspiring much confidence



More than two weeks have passed since the Atlanta Hawks made a multipronged announcement about the future of the organization's front office. In one fell swoop, Hawks governor Tony Ressler relieved general manager Landry Fields of his duties, revealed that a search for a new president of basketball operations was underway, and bumped up-and-coming executive Onsi Saleh to the general manager role.

As part of that release, Ressler indicated a desire to add "an accomplished, senior-level leader" in the president role, and that preference has been reiterated in multiple reports since then, to the point where it seems clear the team's governor would prefer a big splash in the position. However, it can be challenging to secure a commitment from such a figure, and that reality is coming into focus with the latest reporting.

Marc Stein and Jake Fischer shed light on the situation on Sunday, pointing to Sportsology, the search firm hired by the Hawks, conducting interviews over the last week. Stein and Fischer discussed a handful of candidates for the Hawks, including previously mentioned names like Elton Brand and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, in addition to a pair of recently fired executives.

Former Denver Nuggets GM Calvin Booth and former Sacramento Kings GM Monte McNair are reportedly on the list after each was dismissed in previous roles over the last few weeks. On Booth, Stein and Fischer pointed to the thought that "Booth's scouting acumen and strong reputation as a talent evaluator could pair well with Saleh's strategic expertise." On McNair's side, the reporting centered on his previous situation in Sacramento in which "worked in a two-executive structure alongside Wes Wilcox."

Two of the Hawks leading candidates were just fired from their old jobs
Booth and McNair are both established names with senior experience, which would check the boxes for Ressler's stated desires. Booth was technically at the helm of an NBA champion in Denver, though the vast majority of that team's core was constructed while he was in the No. 2 role behind Tim Connelly. McNair's record in Sacramento was checkered, but he did captain the organization to its best on-court seasons in more than a decade. In addition, there is constant chatter that Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé is perhaps responsible for some of the shakier decision-making in Sacramento, including an odd process that led to the firing of head coach Mike Brown this season.

It is certainly worth noting that Sportsology is attempting to keep things as quiet as possible with the interview process. That would point to the chance that there are candidates who have not yet been revealed in media circles, and Atlanta is also reportedly considering at least one outside-the-box option with BYU standout Travis Hansen, who currently works in the private equity world. Also, there is an interesting level of connection with several candidates to the Hawks organization, as Brand and Abdur-Rahim both played in Atlanta, while Hansen also had a cup of coffee with the team after starring at BYU.

At the very least, it seems as if the Hawks are intentionally casting a wide net in the search which, in general, is good process. Still, the conventional wisdom pointed to Ressler at least attempting to "go big" with the hire after dismissing Fields in a move that surprised many in the league. None of the reported candidates really come with a great deal of shine right now, particularly when the two most established voices were recently fired under challenging circumstances. It does seem clear that Saleh will be prominently involved in the direction of the Hawks, though, which could lessen the need for the all-encompassing voice at the top of the organizational chart.

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[Geaux_Hawks]

With Saleh as the cap guru, I'd take a shot at Booth. He's got an eye for talent. The problem in Denver was Malone's insistence to play vets over younger guys. Don't think we'd really have that problem here with Quin.

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[Jamaaliver]

"Per sources: 76ers general manager Elton Brand has withdrawn from Atlanta’s president of basketball operations search."

In corporate speak, that generally means he was eliminated from consideration and is being allowed to save face...

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[Geaux_Hawks]

Just a name to consider throwing some premium dollars to, but Adam Simon from Miami would be a good get. I know he's like the VPoB down there, but Elisbury is the executive PoB and Riley is above him. Would be a great chance to move from under both and establish his own tree of executives.