The Sixers made waves last week when they hired Jerry Colangelo, a move that cuts into, if not usurps entirely, the power of GM Sam Hinkie. Half the teams in the league have undergone some sort of front office change since the 2013 offseason, when the Sixers hired Hinkie. Here’s a look at each of those moves:
- Suns: Former president of basketball operations Lon Babby transitioned to an advisory role in August 2015. The move put GM Ryan McDonough in control.
- Bucks: GM John Hammond has been around since 2008, but co-owner Marc Lasry indicated that coach Jason Kidd, whom the team hired in July 2014, has a sizable influence on personnel, and it’s clear to people around the league that Kidd is calling the shots in Milwaukee, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times recently told us.
- Pistons: Hired Stan Van Gundy to coach the team and oversee player personnel in May 2014. Ken Catanella and George David ran the front office on an interim basis after the team parted ways with former president of basketball operations Joe Dumars in April 2014.
- Hornets: Former president of basketball operations Rod Higgins resigned June 2014. That ostensibly left GM Rich Cho to run the front office, though owner Michael Jordan, vice chairman Curtis Polk, assistant GM Chad Buchanan and director of player personnel Larry Jordan all have some decision-making power, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com detailed.
- Clippers: Hired Doc Rivers as coach and senior vice president of basketball operations in June 2013, replacing a triumvirate of former vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks, former coach Vinny Del Negro and former team president Andy Roeser. The Clippers changed Rivers’ title to coach and president of basketball operations in June 2014, when they hired Dave Wohl to serve as GM under Rivers.
- Raptors: Hired Masai Ujiri as GM in May 2013, replacing former GM Bryan Colangelo.
- Nuggets: Hired Tim Connelly as GM in June 2013, replacing GM Masai Ujiri, who left the team in May 2013.
- Pacers: President of basketball operations Larry Bird returned to the Pacers in June 2013 after a year’s absence. He replaced Donnie Walsh, who held the president of basketball operations title while Bird was away.
- Cavaliers: Fired GM Chris Grant and named assistant GM David Griffin interim GM in February 2014. They hired Griffin to the GM job on formal basis in May 2014.
- Knicks: Hired Phil Jackson as team president in March 2014, placing him above GM Steve Mills. The Knicks had replaced Glen Grunwald with Mills in the GM role in September 2013.
- Grizzlies: Restored power to GM Chris Wallace upon former CEO Jason Levien‘s resignation in May 2014.
- Hawks: Installed coach Mike Budenholzer as the primary decision maker in the front office when former GM Danny Ferry took a leave of absence in September 2014. The Hawks added the title of president of basketball operations to Budenholzer’s title in June 2015, when Ferry resigned in a buyout deal.
- Kings: Hired Pete D’Alessandro as GM in June 2013, replacing former GM Geoff Petrie. The Kings placed Vlade Divac on top of D’Alessandro on the organizational chart when they hired him as vice president of basketball and franchise operations in March 2015. The team changed Divac’s title to vice president of basketball operations and GM in August, after D’Alessandro left the team.
- Timberwolves: GM Milt Newton assumed control of the front office when president of basketball operations Flip Saunders took a leave of absence in September, prior to Saunders’ death in October. The Wolves had hired Saunders in May 2013, replacing former GM David Kahn.