The Bucks have granted assistant GM Jeff Weltman permission to interview for the Suns vacant GM job, reports Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic first identified Weltman as a candidate for the position, and Chris Broussard named him as the frontrunner this week. Weltman was a finalist for the Phoenix job in 2010, when the team instead hired Lance Blanks, who on Monday parted ways with the Suns.
Lon Babby, the Phoenix president of basketball operations, will allow the new GM to make a decision on the team's head coach, Gardner reports. Interim Lindsey Hunter currently holds that job, though he'll interview for the Pistons coaching vacancy amid speculation he could be on the way out.
Babby promises the offseason will be "a summer of analytics" for the franchise. That could mean candidates like Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren or Rockets executive vice president of basketball operations Sam Hinkie could be considered for the Suns GM job, though that's just my speculation.
Weltman joined the Bucks along with GM John Hammond in 2008. He reportedly was one of several who engaged in preliminary discussions with the Clippers about their GM opening last summer.