The Spurs have brought Jazz assistant coach and former Knicks president and GM Scott Layden aboard as assistant GM, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Layden also served as GM of the Jazz from 1992-99. Wojnarowski says the Spurs were also considering Gersson Rosas, vice president of player personnel for the Rockets.
One of Layden's tasks will be to administer the Spurs' scouting department. San Antonio has been renowned for its scouting over the years, finding hidden gems to help the franchise win four championships and annually compete at a high level. Dennis Lindsey, who left the post this summer to become GM of the Jazz, is the latest in a long line of Spurs assistant GMs who later became top executives with other clubs. Danny Ferry, Sam Presti and Dell Demps have all held the job in the past.
Layden helped the Jazz supplement Hall of Famers John Stockton and Karl Malone in the '90s, as Utah made back-to-back appearances in the Finals in 1997 and 1998. Layden had much less success with the Knicks from 1999 to 2003, as the team declined from perennial contender to lottery regular.