The Atlanta Hawks’ search for a new general manager appears to be leading them to some expected faces.
Like Chauncey Billups, among others, for instance.
From The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
The Magic are competing with the Atlanta Hawks, who have a general manager opening. Atlanta is considering a number of candidates, including Griffin, Joe Dumars, Houston vice president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, and New York Knicks director of player personnel Mark Hughes, sources said. Atlanta is also planning to discuss the GM opening with television analysts and former players Chauncey Billups and Brent Barry, league sources told The Vertical.
Houston has granted permission to Atlanta to discuss the opening with Rosas, its No. 2 executive behind GM Daryl Morey, league sources said.
New York has granted permission on Hughes too, league sources said.
Every other name is basically a predictable candidate—especially David Griffin, who, remarkably, remains without a new contract in Cleveland. Brent Barry is a little surprising, but Billups is more so.
That he’s popping up in these discussions now, roughly three years after retiring, speaks to how highly he’s viewed around the league. Mr. Big Shot was always considered a player who would excel on the coaching front, but taking a position as an executive would put him on a whole different plane.
If nothing else, though, this list shows the Hawks are thinking outside the box—beyond the usual suspects. There’s nothing wrong that. Variety is the spice of—well, you know.
Atlanta just needs to make sure there’s a decision soon, because it’s seldom a good idea to enter the draft and free agency without an established pecking order in place.
