More than two weeks have passed since the Atlanta Hawks made a multipronged announcement about the future of the organization's front office. In one fell swoop, Hawks governor Tony Ressler relieved general manager Landry Fields of his duties, revealed that a search for a new president of basketball operations was underway, and bumped up-and-coming executive Onsi Saleh to the general manager role.
As part of that release, Ressler indicated a desire to add "an accomplished, senior-level leader" in the president role, and that preference has been reiterated in multiple reports since then, to the point where it seems clear the team's governor would prefer a big splash in the position. However, it can be challenging to secure a commitment from such a figure, and that reality is coming into focus with the latest reporting.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer shed light on the situation on Sunday, pointing to Sportsology, the search firm hired by the Hawks, conducting interviews over the last week. Stein and Fischer discussed a handful of candidates for the Hawks, including previously mentioned names like Elton Brand and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, in addition to a pair of recently fired executives.
Former Denver Nuggets GM Calvin Booth and former Sacramento Kings GM Monte McNair are reportedly on the list after each was dismissed in previous roles over the last few weeks. On Booth, Stein and Fischer pointed to the thought that "Booth's scouting acumen and strong reputation as a talent evaluator could pair well with Saleh's strategic expertise." On McNair's side, the reporting centered on his previous situation in Sacramento in which "worked in a two-executive structure alongside Wes Wilcox."
Two of the Hawks leading candidates were just fired from their old jobs
Booth and McNair are both established names with senior experience, which would check the boxes for Ressler's stated desires. Booth was technically at the helm of an NBA champion in Denver, though the vast majority of that team's core was constructed while he was in the No. 2 role behind Tim Connelly. McNair's record in Sacramento was checkered, but he did captain the organization to its best on-court seasons in more than a decade. In addition, there is constant chatter that Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé is perhaps responsible for some of the shakier decision-making in Sacramento, including an odd process that led to the firing of head coach Mike Brown this season.
It is certainly worth noting that Sportsology is attempting to keep things as quiet as possible with the interview process. That would point to the chance that there are candidates who have not yet been revealed in media circles, and Atlanta is also reportedly considering at least one outside-the-box option with more BYU standout Travis Hansen, who currently works in the private equity world. Also, there is an interesting level of connection with several candidates to the Hawks organization, as Brand and Abdur-Rahim both played in Atlanta, while Hansen also had a cup of coffee with the team after starring at BYU.
At the very least, it seems as if the Hawks are intentionally casting a wide net in the search which, in general, is good process. Still, the conventional wisdom pointed to Ressler at least attempting to "go big" with the hire after dismissing Fields in a move that surprised many in the league. None of the reported candidates really come with a great deal of shine right now, particularly when the two most established voices were recently fired under challenging circumstances. It does seem clear that Saleh will be prominently involved in the direction of the Hawks, though, which could lessen the need for the all-encompassing voice at the top of the organizational chart.
The NBA Draft Lottery and NBA Draft Combine each transpire in less than a week and, while there is no mandate that a lead executive would be in place for those events, the clock is also ticking on the Hawks as they choose the person to shepherd the basketball side of the organization.