Kings Exec Wes Wilcox Named University Of Utah GM

March 26: The Utes have formally announced Wilcox as their new general manager.

March 25: The University of Utah is targeting Kings assistant general manager Wes Wilcox as the new GM of its men’s basketball program, reports Pete Thamel of ESPN.

While nothing’s official yet, Thamel says the two sides are expected to reach a deal in the near future. James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link) confirms that Wilcox is expected to leave Sacramento for the Utes.

Wilcox initially joined the Kings under general manager Monte McNair in 2020 and was signed to a contract extension in 2023. Prior to his stint in Sacramento, Wilcox held front office jobs in Cleveland and Atlanta, including serving as the Hawks’ GM from 2015-17. He also worked for the Heat and Pelicans earlier in his career.

According to Thamel, if Wilcox officially joins the Utes, he would become the highest-ranking sitting NBA front office executive to accept a college front office job.

This sort of NBA-to-NCAA move is becoming increasingly common due to the ongoing professionalization of college sports, Thamel writes, adding that schools are expected to be able to pay athletes directly through revenue sharing beginning next season.

The University of Utah reached a deal earlier this month to hire Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen as the team’s new head coach. Wilcox hired Jensen as the head coach of the G League’s Canton Charge back when he worked in the Cavaliers’ front office, Thamel notes.