Tag: Troy Weaver

Report: Mike Dunleavy Jr. in running for Pistons assistant GM position

Mike Dunleavy Jr. could be leaving the Bay Area to take the Detroit Pistons assistant general manager job.

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.

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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Thunder may be losing another executive to Pistons general manager job

The Thunder might be losing another member of their front office, this time to the Detroit Pistons.

Slowly but surely, Sam Presti’s organization in Oklahoma City has become renowned as being one of the best in the NBA. When other teams have openings, the first resort is often to look at a team that has proven successful and attempt to poach some talent to help change some fortunes.

The Nets did exactly that by hiring Sean Marks away from the Spurs back in 2016, and they’ve obviously enjoyed a seemingly quick turnaround.

Now, after the Knicks managed to steal Frank Zanin from Oklahoma City, Troy Weaver may soon be headed to Detroit to join the Pistons. The news of Detroit’s interest was first reported by Marc Stein of the New York Times. Stein described weaver as “the top choice” for the Pistons.

Weaver currently serves as the Vice President of Basketball Operations under Presti and has been with the franchise for 10 years. Unlike Zanin, who spent just four years with the Thunder after arriving from Brooklyn, Weaver is a son of the franchise.

It looks like he may be moving out.

Although nothing is reported to be imminent, most executives like Weaver work their entire careers for an opportunity to become a general manager. Ed Stefanski — whose official title is “Special Advisor — has been fulfilling the general manager duties in Detroit since the firing of Jeff Bowers in 2018. Stefanski is expected to be elevated after finding a general manager to assume his current role.

Weaver could be his guy.