The Atlanta Hawks are taking a polarizing approach, but one that has yielded positive results in recent years, with their search for their next president of basketball operations.
They have already been linked to several noteworthy names, none of whom stand out as much as former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, who is now an analyst and consultant. Myers has history with current Hawks GM Onsi Saleh.
There is a major hitch, though. Myers plans to be “selective in the extreme.”
So far, that has left the Hawks “without success” in luring Myers away from the broadcast booth and NFL luxury box seats, writes The Stein Line’s Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
“League sources say [Hawks owner Tony] Ressler, seemingly inspired by Myers’ success in Golden State and likewise by what Leon Rose and Rob Pelinka are doing with the Knicks and Lakers, has shown a significant interest in pursuing established agents to take over Atlanta’s front office and team up with cap strategist Onsi Saleh,” Fischer and Stein wrote on May 9.
Hawks’ ‘inspiration’ bearing mixed results
The Hawks already saw former player and current Philadelphia 76ers GM Elton Brand remove himself from consideration. And they have formally interviewed three candidates – Calvin Booth, Danny Ferry, and Monte McNair – for the position.
Working against Ressler, the Hawks left the role vacant after former president Travis Schlenk stepped down.
That was during the season, before the calendar turned from 2022 to 2023.
The Hawks are picking their fourth lead executive since Ressler’s ownership group assumed control in 2015. They have already gone through three head coaches, and the fourth and current, Quin Snyder, has already started being linked to other potential opportunities.
There are also the matters of Dyson Daniels and Trae Young’s contract extensions. The latter holds a player option for the 2026-27 season.
Ressler has also been averse to going into the luxury tax.
Notably, Myers, who was always a long shot for the Hawks, exited Golden State as the Warriors faced tremendous salary cap difficulties following the most recent updates to the CBA. The Warriors did build the core of their group through the draft before it became so costly, though.
As for the Lakers, their “success” yielded one of the most polarizing championship runs in NBA history and years of uncertainty after.
The Knicks have yet to reach the promised land and have gone all in on their current group.
Building a championship team is not a science. Targeting a figure like Myers makes sense if that is what ownership wants. However, chasing the next Myers for the sake of lightning potentially striking again is as risky an endeavor as the Hawks could take.
Myers, specifically, but also Pelinka and Rose, are exceptions, not the rule. Pelinka’s tenure as an agent has led to some frayed relationships around the league.
Rose’s former agency, CAA, had a quiet feud with a rival outfit (Klutch) that they settled in 2024.
Consistent inconsistency, a track record of not spending as championship contenders often do, and roster uncertainty only underscore the drawbacks of a job that also includes roster uncertainty and a slew of voices contributing their input.