Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/16/15

On Tuesday, Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron ran down the list of the longest-tenured primary executives around the NBA. Around the league, head coaches are usually the first ones to shoulder the blame when a season goes awry, sometimes unfairly so, especially given that most NBA coaches aren’t directly involved with the construction of their teams’ rosters. That burden falls to each team’s primary basketball executive, be he a GM, team president, or president of basketball operations. Regardless of their title, these are the men who are tasked with putting together the best roster that they possibly can, and they have to do so within the bounds of the salary cap.

It’s certainly a difficult job, and one that garners constant criticism and scrutiny, not only from the fanbase, but the owners and shareholders as well. While the turnover rate among front office personnel isn’t quite as high as those who represent the coaching ranks, it’s not a job where most executives can expect a multi-decade run with the same franchise. Turnover is inevitable, which segues perfectly into the topic of the day: Who do you predict will be the next primary team executive to be fired?

For convenience, and with a big thanks to Chuck for compiling, here’s the current list of primary front office executives arranged by tenure:

  1. Pat Riley, Heat: September 1995
  2. Mitch Kupchak, Lakers: August 2000
  3. R.C. Buford, Spurs: July 2002
  4. Danny Ainge, Celtics: May 2003
  5. Ernie Grunfeld, Wizards: June 2003
  6. Donnie Nelson, Mavericks: June 2005
  7. Daryl Morey, Rockets: May 2007
  8. Sam Presti, Thunder: June 2007
  9. John Hammond, Bucks: April 2008
  10. Gar Forman, Bulls: May 2009
  11. Billy King, Nets: July 2010
  12. Dell Demps, Pelicans: July 2010
  13. Rich Cho, Hornets: June 2011
  14. Bob Myers, Warriors: April 2012
  15. Neil Olshey, Trail Blazers: June 2012
  16. Rob Hennigan, Magic: June 2012
  17. Dennis Lindsey, Jazz: August 2012
  18. Ryan McDonough, Suns: May 2013
  19. Sam Hinkie, Sixers: May 2013
  20. Masai Ujiri, Raptors: May 2013
  21. Tim Connelly, Nuggets: June 2013
  22. Doc Rivers, Clippers: June 2013
  23. Larry Bird, Pacers: June 2013 (returned to organization)
  24. David Griffin, Cavaliers: February 2014
  25. Phil Jackson, Knicks: March 2014
  26. Stan Van Gundy, Pistons: May 2014
  27. Chris Wallace, Grizzlies: May 2014 (returned to power)
  28. Mike Budenholzer, Hawks: September 2014
  29. Vlade Divac, Kings: March 2015
  30. Milt Newton, Timberwolves: September 2015 (interim)

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

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