Sources: Kings request permission to interview these six candidates in GM search
The Kings are moving into the next phase of their search for a new general manager nearly a month after Vlade Divac resigned.
League sources told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have requested permission to interview six candidates, as first reported by The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Shams Charania. The candidates include Miami Heat assistant general manager Adam Simon; Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth; Houston Rockets assistant general manager Monte McNair; New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon; Minnesota Timberwolves executive vice president Sachin Gupta; and former Atlanta Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox.
Divac stepped down March 14 after five seasons as general manager in Sacramento. Joe Dumars, who joined the organization as an adviser last summer, is serving as interim executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager.
Interviews are expected to begin next week. It is unclear which of these candidates the Kings have been given permission to interview.
Simon and Langdon have been linked to the Kings’ search for weeks. A preliminary list of potential candidates also included New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry, Los Angeles Clippers assistant general manager Trent Redden and Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster, but at this point the Kings have not requested permission to interview them, sources said.
Adam Simon
Simon, 46, has spent 25 years with the Heat, who have a 3-1 lead over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. This is Simon’s first season as vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager under GM Andy Elisburg and team president Pat Riley. He played a key role in drafting Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and KZ Okpala, and acquiring undrafted players such as Derrick Jones Jr., Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn and Hassan Whiteside.
Calvin Booth
Booth, 44, is completing his third season with the Nuggets, who trail the Los Angeles Clippers 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinals. He served as assistant general manager until July, when he was promoted to general manager. Booth is said to have played an integral role in scouting and drafting current Nuggets such as Monte Morris, Michael Porter Jr., Bol Bol and Vlatko Cancar. Booth previously spent four seasons in Minnesota’s front office as a scout and player personnel director.
“Calvin is one of the brightest basketball minds in our league,” Nuggets president Tim Connelly said in a news release.
Monte McNair
McNair, a Southern California native who played football at Princeton, joined the Rockets as an analyst in 2007. He was named director of basketball operations in 2013, transitioned to vice president of basketball operations in 2015 and was promoted to assistant general manager in October 2018. In addition to his analytics work for the Rockets organization, McNair has been involved in all aspects of player evaluation, including trades, free agency and the draft.
“Monte has been absolutely critical to the success of the Rockets over his long tenure,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said on the team’s website. “His unique combination of analytical skills and ability to work with our coaching staff was a key driver in our record-breaking season last year.”
Trajan Langdon
Langdon, 44, was named general manager in New Orleans in May 2019. He previously served as assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets and was named the 2018-19 NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year for his work with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate.
“Trajan is a tremendous talent and shares in our vision of what it means to be a part of the Pelican family, on and off the floor,” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said after hiring Langdon. “We are excited to add he and his family to our leadership group as we continue building upon that vision.”
Sachin Gupta
Gupta, 38, attended MIT and began his career at ESPN, where he helped usher in basketball’s analytical movement and became well versed in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement while developing ESPN’s popular Trade Machine. He worked in the front offices of the Philadelphia 76ers, Rockets and Detroit Pistons before the Timberwolves hired him in July 2019.
“Sachin is an extremely talented basketball mind who brings a diverse and unique background to our staff,” Timberwolves president Gersson Rosas said. “Known as a pioneer of basketball analytics and one of the leaders in the CBA, I’m thrilled to partner with Sachin as we aim to build the Timberwolves into one of the most modern and dynamic franchises in the NBA.”
Wes Wilcox
Wilcox served as director of player personnel for the Cleveland Cavaliers before joining the Hawks as assistant general manager in 2012. He was promoted to general manager in June 2015 and spent two seasons in that role before resigning in May 2017, four months after apologizing for a racially charged joke during a meeting with season ticket holders in Atlanta.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wilcox interviewed for the Chicago Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations job in April. A few days later, the Bulls hired Arturas Karnisovas.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 1:40 PM.
