GM candidates coming to Sacramento to interview with Kings, but not with Joe Dumars?
A flurry of weekend activity and some shifting dynamics have set the stage for the days to come as the Kings prepare to bring at least three candidates to Sacramento to interview for their general manager job.
Minnesota Timberwolves executive vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta, Houston Rockets assistant general manager Monte NcNair and former Atlanta Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox have advanced to a second round of interviews, sources told ESPN. Apparently, they will not interview with Joe Dumars, the team’s interim executive vice president of basketball operations.
The Kings quietly began the interview process in recent days after previously saying interviews would begin this week. This news surfaced after New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon and Miami Heat assistant general manager Adam Simon withdrew their names from consideration last week.
The Undefeated’s Marc Spears reported the Kings interviewed Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth for the job Sunday. That represented an apparent change of heart from Booth, who was on the verge of withdrawing a day earlier, sources told The Sacramento Bee. A source told The Bee the Sunday discussion between Booth and Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé was a “very informal” but “good convo.” Booth is expected to follow up in the next 24 hours with Sportsology CEO Mike Forde, who heads the executive search firm the Kings hired to help them with their search, and “go from there.”
Gupta, McNair and Wilcox will reportedly visit Sacramento, but evidently they will not be interviewing with Dumars. After weeks of uncertainty regarding his role and future with the organization, sources told The Athletic’s Sam Amick on Saturday night Dumars will not be involved in the interview process. Interviews will be led by Ranadivé and Forde.
Changing role for Dumars?
When former general manager Vlade Divac resigned in August, the Kings appointed Dumars as interim executive vice president of basketball operations and acting general manager. Dumars, who assembled an NBA championship team and was named NBA Executive of the Year as general manager of the Detroit Pistons from 2000-14, joined the Kings as a special adviser to the general manager in June 2019.
Divac stepped down when Ranadivé asked him to transfer decision-making power to Dumars. After Divac resigned, Ranadivé said the team would work with Dumars to develop a long-term strategy for the organization’s basketball operations structure, including the search for a new general manager.
“Joe has become a trusted and valued advisor since joining the team last year, and I am grateful to have him take on this role at an important time for the franchise,” Ranadivé said.
From the start of Sacramento’s search, the presence of Dumars and questions about his still-undefined role going forward led to concerns among a number of potential candidates, league sources said. A team source told The Bee last week the new general manager will be the organization’s top basketball official and will report directly to Ranadivé. Now the Kings appear to be making that clear to their candidates as well.
When asked about the possibility of bringing in additional candidates, a team source said: “Mike Forde is leading a thorough search and … we are moving through that process.”
Sachin Gupta
Gupta, 38, earned a computer science degree from MIT and an MBA from Stanford. He began his career at ESPN, where he was a forerunner in basketball’s analytical movement and became well versed in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement while developing ESPN’s Trade Machine. He later worked in the front offices of the Philadelphia 76ers, Rockets and 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 when Gupta was hired. “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.”
Calvin Booth
Booth, 44, is completing his third season with the Nuggets, who beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday to force a Game 7 in their Western Conference semifinal series. 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 Michael Porter Jr., Monte Morris, 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 when Booth was promoted. “We are very fortunate to have him as part of our organization and are extremely excited for his new role.”
Monte McNair
McNair is a Southern California native who played football at Princeton. He 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.”
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni announced Sunday he will not return to Houston next season, but Morey’s job is reportedly safe. The opportunity in Sacramento would allow McNair to build his own team and escape the salary cap challenges the Rockets face.
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 at the age of 36 in June 2015 and spent two seasons in that role before resigning in May 2017. Earlier that season, Wilcox apologized for a racially charged joke during a meeting with season-ticket holders in Atlanta.
According to numerous reports, Wilcox, who is white, said: “I know you guys may be angry with me, but I’m used to it because I have a Black wife and three mixed kids, so I’m used to people being angry and argumentative.”
Wilcox helped construct the Hawks team that reached the Eastern Conference finals after going 60-22 in 2014-15. They won 48 games in 2015-16 and 43 games in 2016-17 after Wilcox was named general manager.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wilcox interviewed for the Chicago Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations job in April. The Bulls ultimately hired former Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas.
Wilcox was reportedly a finalist for the Milwaukee Bucks’ general manager job in 2017.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
