{"id":138291,"date":"2025-05-07T06:22:04","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T10:22:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=138291"},"modified":"2025-05-07T06:22:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T10:22:04","slug":"latest-intel-hawks-president-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/07\/latest-intel-hawks-president-search\/","title":{"rendered":"Latest Intel On Hawks President Search"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, WSB-Ch.2 Atlanta (ABC-TV) sports director Zach Klein reported that the Atlanta Hawks would be interviewing several candidates for their <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/21\/landry-fieldss-decision-making-at-heart-of-hawks-issues\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">vacant President of Basketball Operations position<\/a>. Those individuals and their current or most recent employers, as well as positions, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZachKleinWSB\/status\/1918343224067781091\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">are listed below<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Elton Brand (current Philadelphia 76ers general manager)<\/li>\n<li>Monte McNair (former Sacramento Kings general manager)<\/li>\n<li>Calvin Booth (former Denver Nuggets general manager)<\/li>\n<li>Danny Ferry (current San Antonio Spurs basketball operations consultant)<\/li>\n<li>Shareef Abdur-Rahim (current NBA G League president)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Stein Line insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have reported that Brand, McNair, and Booth have <a href=\"https:\/\/marcstein.substack.com\/p\/sunday-best-all-of-the-nbas-latest?utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&amp;triedRedirect=true\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">already had their initial interview<\/a> with the Hawks. They also note the interest in former EuroLeague wing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hansetr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Travis Hansen<\/a>, who was drafted 37th overall by the Hawks in 2003. In 2013, Hansen founded a successful private equity and holdings company (Tesani).<\/p>\n<h2>Latest Intel On Hawks President Search<\/h2>\n<p>Hansen isn\u2019t the only candidate who has a past with the Hawks.<\/p>\n<p>Brand played for Atlanta for two seasons, including the only 60-win season in franchise history. Ferry was the Hawks president and general manager for two seasons, including Brand\u2019s first with the team. Abdur-Rahim, an Atlanta native, played two-plus memorable seasons with the Hawks.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_138293\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-138293\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-138293\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/IMG_6059-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/IMG_6059-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/IMG_6059-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/IMG_6059-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/IMG_6059-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/IMG_6059-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-138293\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Feb 27, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Former California Golden Bears player and current president of the NBA G League, Shareef Abdur-Rahim speaks before the game against Colorado Buffaloes at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>However, Hansen is their only candidate who doesn\u2019t have NBA front office experience. Pairing him with Onsi Saleh might lead to an accountant-like front office. Frankly, Hansen may be best suited for a cap-focused position. Conversely, four candidates \u2014Brand, Booth, Ferry, and McNair \u2014have demonstrated that they can be successful from a player personnel perspective.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also been evidence to the contrary.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Booth can identify young talent but is dogmatic about playing them over veterans. He also <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/14\/josh-kroenke-sorry-but-not-sorry-for-malone-and-booth-firings\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">doesn\u2019t create a comfortable working environment<\/a> for coaches or players. These are the reasons the Nuggets fired him.<\/li>\n<li>McNair follows-up great decisions (e.g., drafting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/halibty01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyrese Haliburton<\/a>) with head-scratching ones (e.g., trading Haliburton and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/f\/foxde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">De\u2019Aaron Fox<\/a>). His constant effort to rectify past mistakes speaks to a lack of foresight. Ultimately, this is why <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/17\/kings-fire-gm-monte-mcnair-after-season-ending-letdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">he was recently fired<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Ferry laid the foundation for the Hawks\u2019 60-win team. Yet, he\u2019s followed by controversy after being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/11493233\/atlanta-hawks-discipline-general-manager-danny-ferry-racist-comments\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">accused of making racist remarks<\/a> about former NBA star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/denglu01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luol Deng<\/a>, a native of South Sudan.<\/li>\n<li>On the one hand, Brand was responsible for getting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/butleji01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Butler<\/a>\u00a0to the Sixers. However, he was unable to retain Butler for more than one season. Furthermore, his trust in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/simmobe01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ben Simmons<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/harrito02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tobias Harris<\/a> came back to bite Philadelphia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Elton Brand Out<\/h3>\n<p>Hansen\u2019s competition just got lighter, as Brand \u201chas withdrawn from Atlanta\u2019s president of basketball operations search,\u201d per Fischer. Brand \u201cholds strong relationships within the franchise.\u201d Nevertheless, \u201c(he) is staying with Philadelphia for an important offseason.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Per sources: 76ers general manager Elton Brand has withdrawn from Atlanta\u2019s president of basketball operations search. Brand played for Hawks and holds strong relationships within the franchise, but is staying with Philadelphia for an important offseason: <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OGrhRUaUfE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/OGrhRUaUfE<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uIV8EyC52g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/uIV8EyC52g<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JakeLFischer\/status\/1919918908389073057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 7, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>To Fischer\u2019s point, the Sixers are preparing for what could be a franchise-altering offseason.<\/p>\n<p>Face of the franchise, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/embiijo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joel Embiid<\/a>, is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/03\/joel-embiid-knee-injury-is-career-over\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">dealing with a<\/a> serious injury. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/maxeyty01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyrese Maxey<\/a> hasn\u2019t proven the team can excel with him as the No. 1 option. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/georgpa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paul George<\/a>\u2019s highly anticipated 2024-25 campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/15\/76ers-paul-george-injuries-returning-to-form\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">was a letdown<\/a>. Fortunately for Philadelphia, they currently have the fifth overall pick and an aggressive Daryl Morey.<\/p>\n<p>That being said, if the Sixers fail to play well in 2025-26, Morey could be on the hot seat. That wouldn\u2019t mean Brand\u2019s job is safe. However, NBA organizations have a history of creating lines of succession in their front office, which could culminate in Brand receiving a promotion.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Bill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, WSB-Ch.2 Atlanta (ABC-TV) sports director Zach Klein reported that the Atlanta Hawks would be interviewing several candidates for their vacant President of Basketball Operations position. Those individuals and their current or most recent employers, as well as positions, are listed below: Elton Brand (current Philadelphia 76ers general manager) Monte McNair (former Sacramento Kings [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":138294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1608,20,62,3,13,29,34],"tags":[49472,49370,224,49915,4557,2249,50108],"class_list":["post-138291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hawks","category-basketball","category-nuggets","category-nba","category-news","category-76ers","category-kings","category-spurs","tag-calvin-booth","tag-danny-ferry","tag-elton-brand","tag-monte-mcnair","tag-nba-offseason","tag-shareef-abdur-rahim","tag-travis-hansen"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138291"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138295,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138291\/revisions\/138295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}