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Bucks Receive Permission To Interview GM Candidates

May 31st, 2017 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

12:06pm: ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links) provides an additional update on the Bucks’ GM search, noting that there’s still one GM candidate that the team hasn’t been given permission to interview. As was the case when Atlanta and Orlando expressed interest, the Cavs still aren’t granting permission to speak to David Griffin during the playoffs.

We heard last week that Cavaliers GM David Griffin, a popular target this spring for teams seeking a top basketball exec, is among the names on Milwaukee’s wish list.

11:35am: With John Hammond headed to Orlando, the Bucks’ search for a new general manager is underway. And according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Milwaukee has requested and received permission to speak to a handful of candidates about the open position.

The Bucks are eyeing Pacers president of basketball operations Peter Dinwiddie, Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas, Grizzlies VP of player personnel Ed Stefanski, and Hawks advisor Wes Wilcox, league sources inform Wojnarowski. Each of those four clubs has given Milwaukee permission to interview their respective execs.

According to Wojnarowski, Dinwiddie and Karnisovas have become two of the NBA’s “most respected” young executives. Wilcox and Stefanski are veteran execs — Wilcox was recently removed from Atlanta’s GM role, while Stefanski has a history with Bucks consultant Rod Thorn, having worked with him in New Jersey.

Although assistant GM Justin Zanik is currently running day-to-day operations for the Bucks, and is said to be a strong candidate to replace Hammond in the permanent GM role, the team is reportedly conducting a “broad” search for its new head of basketball operations.

Latest On David Griffin, Bucks’ GM Search

May 24th, 2017 at 5:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Milwaukee has interest in bringing in Cavaliers GM David Griffin to the serve the same position, multiple sources tell Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The Bucks have not reached out to Cleveland to gain permission to interview Griffin. The Cavs previously denied both the Magic and Hawks permission to speak with Griffin.

Vardon adds that Griffin and owner Dan Gilbert have spoken about the GM’s future with the team over the last few days, though no agreement has been made.

The Bucks lost John Hammond to the Magic and it was presumed that assistant GM Justin Zanik would be promoted in his place. Instead, the team is conducting a “broad search” as it looks to name a replacement. Longtime NBA executive Rod Thorn, who serves as a consultant to the franchise, will lead the search.

Zanik is will run the front office, including the team’s draft process, during the search, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. Wojnarowski confirms an earlier report that Zanik remains a serious contender for the position.

Magic Choose Weltman As President of Basketball Operations

May 23rd, 2017 at 9:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

MAY 23, 9:31am: The Magic have announced the hiring of Weltman and will hold a press conference Wednesday, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.

MAY 22, 6:54pm: Bucks GM John Hammond also interviewed for the job, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

5:43pm: Raptors GM Jeff Weltman has reached a five-year agreement with the Magic to become their President of Basketball Operations, sources told The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal was finalized in a meeting between Weltman and Orlando’s CEO Alex Martins, as well as the team’s ownership group, Wojnarowski continues. He replaces Rob Hennigan, who was fired last month.

The Magic had seriously considered making an offer to Cavaliers GM David Griffin, but focused their attention on Weltman in recent weeks, Wojnarowski adds. Weltman had been working under Raptors president Masai Ujiri. He previously had high-level jobs with the Bucks and Nuggets after starting his front-office career with the Clippers. He had been with the Raptors since 2013 after leaving the Bucks organization.

Weltman will have the ability to hire a GM who’ll report to him but Matt Lloyd, who had been serving as the interim GM, could remain with the organization, Wojnarowski adds.

The Raptors will likely fill the GM vacancy with assistant GM Bobby Webster, Toronto beat reporter Doug Smith tweets.

Eastern Rumors: Griffin, Yabusele, Teodosic, Magic

May 22nd, 2017 at 8:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers did not grant GM David Griffin permission to interview for front office jobs with the Magic and Hawks, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. The Magic were interested in hiring Griffin as President of Basketball Operations and had discussions with him but were not allowed to formally interview him and ultimately decided to hire Raptors GM Jeff Weltman, Windhorst continues. The Hawks are looking for an new GM. Griffin’s contract expires at the end of July and has been negotiating with team owner Dan Gilbert, Windhorst adds.

In other developments around the Eastern Conference:

Celtics forward Amir Johnson is questionable for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals because of a shoulder injury, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets. Johnson played only nine minutes in Game 3. Jonas Jerebko, who scored 10 points in 12 minutes in Boston’s victory at Cleveland, could replace him in the starting lineup, ESPN’s Chris Forsberg tweets.
Celtics first-rounder Guerschon Yabusele recently had surgery to remove bone spurs in both feet and will not be available for summer-league games, a source told Forsberg. The 6’8” draft-and-stash prospect, who was chosen with the No. 16 pick last June, spent much of last season in China before joining the Celtics’ D-League team, the Maine Red Claws, in March. Yabusele appeared in seven D-League games and averaged 12.8 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 27.3 MPG.
The Nets will have stiff competition from the Nuggets and Jazz for the services of Euroleague point guard Milos Teodosic, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The Nets are among several teams scouting Teodosic, who plays for CSKA Moscow, and he’s their top free-agent priority, Lewis continues. The Nuggets already have a Serbian connection to Teodosic in Nikola Jokic, his national teammate. The Jazz will have a point guard need if George Hill leaves in free agency and coach Quin Snyder is a former CSKA assistant, Lewis adds.
The Magic parted ways with several front office members, including Director of Pro Scouting Harold Ellis, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders tweets.

Cavs Will Attempt To Retain GM David Griffin

May 17th, 2017 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers general manager David Griffin has been a popular target this spring for teams in search of a new basketball operations executive, having drawn interest from both the Hawks and Magic. However, the Cavs don’t intend to let him get away. According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, team owner Dan Gilbert is making it known that he’s prepared to offer Griffin a “substantial contract and title” to remain with Cleveland.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported in April that extension talks between Griffin and the Cavs had been “stalled for months,” and reiterated this week that the team hadn’t made a significant offer to its GM, whose contract expires at season’s end. Based on Amico’s report though, it sounds like Cleveland is ready to increase its offer, and perhaps offer him a president of basketball operations title.

Amico cautions that a deal is “far from done,” adding that the two sides may not meet for several weeks yet. However, several Cavs and NBA sources tell Amico that they think Gilbert has always planned to retain Griffin, and will meet with him before he talks to other suitors.

Gilbert has reportedly declined to respond to Orlando’s request to talk to Griffin, and since the GM’s contract doesn’t expire until the end of June, the Magic and Hawks may ultimately look elsewhere if they’re denied the opportunity to speak to Griffin until July.

It would be a bit of a surprise if Cleveland lets Griffin away, considering LeBron James has publicly endorsed a new deal for the team’s GM, who was responsible for constructing the roster that won a championship a year ago. Per Amico, multiple people under Griffin have let Cavs ownership know that they appreciate the positive work environment Griffin has fostered, and “greatly admire” the GM.

Latest On Hawks’ Front Office Search

May 16th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hawks placed former team president Mike Budenholzer and former GM Wes Wilcox into new roles earlier this month and it appears the team’s search for new front office members is progressing out of its “infancy stage.”

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) hears that Sacramento’s Scott Perry is being considered for the open GM position. The Kings hired Perry as their executive VP of basketball operations less than four weeks ago.

Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks have granted the team permission to interview their Director of Player Personnel Mark Hughes for the Hawks’ open GM position. Like New York, Houston will allow Atlanta to interview a member of its front office. The Hawks have their eye on Rockets VP of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas.

Atlanta is reportedly also considering Cavs GM David Griffin and Joe Dumars. The team also plans on discussing the position with TV analysts Chauncey Billups and Brent Barry.

Magic Await Permission To Talk To David Griffin

May 16th, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic have submitted a formal request to the Cavaliers to speak with GM David Griffin, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Griffin is believed to be the front-runner to become Orlando’s president of basketball operations, with a report last month saying he will be offered the job when he becomes available.

The Cavaliers have not responded to the request, Wojnarowski adds, and have the option of holding onto Griffin until his contract expires at the end of June. With free agency starting July 1st, it’s possible that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert will deny the interview request as a stall tactic to see if Orlando turns to someone else.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that Gilbert hasn’t made a substantive offer to try to keep Griffin, who built the Cavaliers into a championship team after LeBron James returned in 2014. James has been an outspoken advocate of keeping the GM, but his public comments seem to have had little effect on negotiations.

The Magic are getting ready to start interviewing other candidates for the position, including Hall of Famer Kevin McHale and Bucks GM John Hammond, who still has a year left on his contract in Milwaukee. Interim Magic GM Matt Lloyd has already been through the interview process and is highly thought of in the organization, according to Wojnarowski.

Orlando launched a front-office shakeup when the season ended, firing GM Rob Hennigan and assistant GM Scott Perry. The Magic plan to put control of the front office in the hands of a president, who will then hire the next GM.

The team faces competition from the Hawks, who recently relieved Wes Wilcox of GM duties. Griffin is seen as a candidate in Atlanta, along with former Pistons executive Joe Dumars, Rockets VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, Knicks director of player personnel Mark Hughes and former players and current TV analysts Chauncey Billups and Brent Barry. Wojnarowski reports that the Hawks have received permission to interview Rosas and Hughes.

David Griffin, Joe Dumars On Hawks’ Radar?

May 5th, 2017 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Having restructured their front office, the Hawks are in the market for a new top basketball executive, and according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter), league sources suggest that David Griffin and Joe Dumars are expected to emerge as candidates for that job.

Mike Budenholzer had previously served as the president of basketball operations in Atlanta, but relinquished that title and will simply be the club’s head coach going forward. Meanwhile, Wes Wilcox was the Hawks’ general manager, but will now serve as a special advisor to team ownership. Both Budenholzer and Wilcox are expected to have a say in personnel decisions, but the Hawks are on the lookout for someone who will have the final say.

Griffin has emerged as the most popular front office target around the league early in the 2017 offseason. Despite playing a significant role in building the Cavaliers’ roster, the GM is on an expiring deal with the defending champs, and contract talks between the two sides have reportedly stalled. That has opened the door for rival suitors to prepare pitches for Griffin. In addition to the Hawks, the Magic are believed to have the Cavs GM high on their wish list, though those teams won’t be able to talk to him until Cleveland’s season ends.

As for Dumars, the Pistons’ former president of basketball operations stepped down from that role in 2014. During his time in Detroit, he helped lead the club to a 595–536 (.527) regular-season record, 73 postseason wins, and an NBA championship in 2004, and was named Executive of the Year in 2003. In recent years, he has been linked most frequently to the Pelicans’ front office, should New Orleans decide to shake things up.

As Stein observes (via Twitter), Hawks minority owner Grant Hill, who was expected to have a hand in the team’s search for a new executive, has ties to both Griffin and Dumars. Griffin worked in the Suns’ basketball operations department when Hill was in Phoenix as a player, and Dumars played with Hill in Detroit.

Earlier today, Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said that he hopes to have a GM in place before June’s draft, though he has confidence in the current basketball operations department to handle things in the coming weeks. Ressler added that he hopes Wilcox remains with the Hawks in his new role, admitting that the former GM will have many other options around the NBA (all Twitter links via David Aldridge of NBA.com).

LeBron Turns Up Support For David Griffin

May 4th, 2017 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James continues to express support for Cavaliers GM David Griffin, whose contract will expire after the playoffs, writes Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.

A source said that when James left the practice floor Tuesday, he asked why Griffin “wouldn’t be able to get a new contract.” James didn’t direct the question to anyone, but said it loudly enough to make sure it would be heard.

Sources tell Amico that James has been dropping regular hints about Griffin to team officials, but he doesn’t plan to meet with owner Dan Gilbert to discuss the situation.

Gilbert reportedly finds James’ support for Griffin admirable, and nobody in the organization considers the statements to be a distraction.

However, there’s no evidence that James is making a difference. Someone Amico describes as a “dialed-in source” says the current relationship between Griffin and ownership is “not good” and the GM may not be re-signed this summer.

The Cavs were unable to reach an extension with Griffin last summer, setting up a free agent situation where he is free to join another organization once Cleveland’s playoff run ends. Griffin is reportedly the front-runner to become team president in Orlando.

Two More Candidates For President’s Post In Orlando

May 4th, 2017 at 12:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two more names have emerged as contenders for the president of basketball operations role in Orlando, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

A report last weekend said the Magic will offer the job to Cavaliers GM David Griffin when his team’s playoff run is over. Kevin McHale has also been mentioned as a possibility. Stein reveals that Milwaukee’s John Hammond and Toronto’s Jeff Weltman are under consideration as well.

Hammond has served as GM of the Bucks since 2008 and was named Executive of the Year in 2010. He received a one-year contract extension from the team last summer that will take him through next season, with the plan that he would transition to a consultant and be replaced by assistant GM Justin Zanik.

Weltman was promoted to GM of the Raptors last September. He joined the team in 2013 after five years as assistant GM of the Bucks. Weltman also held front office positions with the Pistons, Nuggets and Clippers.

The Magic have already started the interview process, but CEO Alex Martins said he expects it to take a long time.