The Golden State Warriors may have one of their front office members leave for another team in the near future.
According to Ian Begley of SNY, Warriors assistant general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is in the running for the Detroit Pistons assistant general manager position. Along with Dunleavy, Brooklyn Nets director of player personnel J.R. Holden is also being considered for the assistant general manager job.
Dunleavy, the son of former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., has been in his position with Golden State since last August. He began working with the team as a scout during 2018, per Begley.
The Pistons are also looking for a new general manager, with Oklahoma City Thunder vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver and Nets assistant general manager Jeff Peterson being the top candidates, according to Begley.
Nets director of player personnel J.R. Holden & Warriors assistant GM Mike Dunleavy are among those on the Pistons’ radar as they look to add to their front office. More here: https://t.co/YIEp7J1HGB
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 15, 2020
The Pistons are headed toward a rebuild, with former franchise cornerstone Andre Drummond being dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers during February’s trade deadline. Though Blake Griffin is still there, he is under contract for next season and has a player option of approximately $39 million for the 2021-22 season, per HoopsHype.
Griffin, who missed most of this season due to a lingering knee injury, recently told ESPN’s Sage Steele that he is healthy. If the Pistons were to deal Griffin in a trade, he’d have to rebuild his reputation as a valuable player. Teams would want to see if he can still produce at a relatively high level before taking on his hefty contract.
Still, any front office member headed to Detroit will have some work to do. The Pistons finished the 2019-20 season with a record of 20-46. They currently have a 10.5% chance at the first pick in the 2020 NBA draft, according to Tankathon. Their highest pick odds are at seventh overall, with a 26.7% chance.
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