The Hawks have officially hired Danny Ferry as the team's new president of basketball operations and general manager, the team announced today in a press release. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported yesterday that Atlanta had offered Ferry the job, with Chris Broussard of ESPN.com adding that the offer was for six years.
"Over the past nine years Danny Ferry has earned tremendous respect as a front office executive in the NBA," said Hawks partner Bruce Levenson in a statement. "His philosophy, character, and commitment to creating enduring and successful organizations exemplify exactly what we are looking for in a leader of the Atlanta Hawks. Danny’s systematic and value driven approach has helped him become one of the preeminent minds in basketball. He is passionate about building an organization the right way, knows how to win and knows how to forge winning teams. We look forward to having him as our leader of basketball operations."
Ferry takes over for Rick Sund, who had served as Atlanta's GM since May of 2008. Sund's contract was set to expire at the end of the month, and it's not clear exactly what his future holds — he could remain with the team in a consulting role or opt to retire, but there may be other opportunties available for him across the league. ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweeted last night that the 76ers are interested in Sund as a potential successor for Rod Thorn.
Ferry, who previously served as a general manager in Cleveland, had been working in the Spurs' front office as the vice president of basketball operations.
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