Atlanta Hawks announce front office changes
The Atlanta Hawks have formally announces some changes to the structure of their front office.
Yesterday, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported that the Atlanta Hawks would be making a few changes to their front office. Wojnarowski’s reported stated that Mike Budenholzer would relinquish his duties as president of basketball operations and that the team would begin a search for someone new to be in charge of personnel decisions.
His report also mentioned that current general manager Wes Wilcox would be given a different role within the front office. The report didn’t come as a shock, there had been murmurings about front office changes for a few days.
Today, the Hawks formally announced those changes. The following quotes come from Hawks.com.
From Tony Ressler:
"“As we have said from the beginning, we are committed to building the Atlanta Hawks into a championship-caliber team, and after the end of our season, it was clear to all of us that our basketball operations leadership needed this reorganization,” Ressler said. “With Bud moving his focus exclusively to his position as head coach, we are freeing him up to do what he does best as one of the most respected coaches in the NBA. As owners, we value Wes’ dedication, intellect and capabilities, however we believe that our leadership would be best served by recruiting a new general manager to bring our team to the level of play that we expect.”"
From Mike Budenholzer:
"“For our franchise, I believe that this was a necessary and positive set of changes. I am fully committed to the Hawks organization and look forward to helping with the search process and eventually working with the incoming GM,” Budenholzer said. “Together with ownership, the incoming GM and front office staff, and our coaching staff, we will continue to work toward building a team that can achieve a high level of sustainable success.”"
From Wes Wilcox:
"“What makes our organization strong is that everyone is working together for the good of the Hawks. That was my thinking when Bud and I met with ownership after the season and recommended this new structure,” Wilcox said. “I’m grateful for my time as general manager and consider it a privilege to be asked by Tony to continue on as a special advisor. I look forward to working closely with ownership to bring a championship to Atlanta.”"
Next: Atlanta Hawks 2016-17 Season Review: Dwight's Homecoming
At the moment, no candidates have emerged to fill the roles vacated by Wilcox and Budenholzer. We’ll keep you posted as reports begin to surface about who will eventually be in control of personnel decisions.