Chris Grant the Lead Candidate now

[khaos7]

From the Daily Dime on ESPN

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By Marc Stein

ESPN.com

The Atlanta Hawks, according to NBA front-office sources, have narrowed their search for a new general manager to a single contender.

Sources told ESPN.com on Friday that Cleveland Cavaliers assistant general manager Chris Grant -- who worked under Pete Babcock and Billy Knight in the Hawks' front office before moving to Cleveland -- is the only candidate Atlanta is presently speaking with as it seeks to replace Knight.

Contract negotiations between Grant and the Hawks began this week, sources said, after San Antonio Spurs assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey withdrew his name from consideration Monday. It's apparently up to Grant, at this point, whether he wants to make the leap from one of the most stable franchises in the Eastern Conference to a team that just halted the league's longest playoff drought (eight seasons) and which is known for feuding factions in its crowded ownership group.

The other main candidates Atlanta has considered, in addition to Grant and Lindsey, are Boston Celtics assistant general manager Dave Wohl, Washington Wizards vice president of basketball administration Tommy Sheppard and Portland Trail Blazers personnel scout John Gabriel, formerly general manager of the Orlando Magic.

Lindsey cited "family considerations and professional considerations" for pulling out. In his first full season with the Spurs after spending 11 seasons in Houston's front office, Lindsey has been reluctant to entertain outside interest, previously resisting overtures from the Milwaukee Bucks late in the regular season before the Bucks hired longtime Detroit Pistons executive John Hammond as their new front-office chief.

Lindsey is widely considered future GM material after his long stint with the Rockets and his move to San Antonio as a top aide to Spurs personnel chief R.C. Buford. Various members of Buford's staff, most notably Cleveland's Danny Ferry and Seattle's Sam Presti, have been sought to run other teams after the Spurs' run of three championships in the past five years.

The fast-rising Sheppard, who works as a lead assistant to Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld, is also considered a likely future GM. Besides his talks with the Hawks, Sheppard was a finalist in Seattle for the job that went to Presti last summer.

So a guy that was with both the Babcock and Knight regimes leads the running? Scary thought. It's not like the Cavs have been making brilliant business moves either. Funny thing is, according to this article, he hasn't made up his mind. Just a hunch...he'll turn the BASG down.

[KB21]

It's not a scary thought that Chris Grant is the top guy. Chris is considered to be one of the top young future general managers in basketball. His name was being thrown around as a future general manager back when he was with the Hawks. His experience in Cleveland has only helped to broaden his career. Since Chris joined Danny Ferry and Lance Blanks in Cleveland, they have won 50, 50, and 45 games.

[AHF]

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It's not a scary thought that Chris Grant is the top guy. Chris is considered to be one of the top young future general managers in basketball. His name was being thrown around as a future general manager back when he was with the Hawks. His experience in Cleveland has only helped to broaden his career. Since Chris joined Danny Ferry and Lance Blanks in Cleveland, they have won 50, 50, and 45 games.

I'd say you are going to lose your bet, and we are going to return Woody to the fold if Grant gets hired. I hope that isn't the case but I imagine based on the public comments that our GM search has revolved in part around finding someone willing to back Woodson with a new contract (which is kind of like limiting your GM search to someone who thinks that taking Marvin over Paul was a good idea).

[khaos7]

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It's not a scary thought that Chris Grant is the top guy. Chris is considered to be one of the top young future general managers in basketball. His name was being thrown around as a future general manager back when he was with the Hawks. His experience in Cleveland has only helped to broaden his career. Since Chris joined Danny Ferry and Lance Blanks in Cleveland, they have won 50, 50, and 45 games.

Cavs Success=Lebron James

[KB21]

I maintain that if the Hawks were searching for someone that would keep Mike Woodson, the hire would be Billy King, not Chris Grant.

With Chris Grant as GM, I won't be surprised if he brings in Eric Musselman as head coach. I think Tyrone Corbin will be a candidate as well.

[KB21]

LeBron James isn't the only reason that team has been good.

[Cwell]

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LeBron James isn't the only reason that team has been good.

lol yes he is.He's the only player they have.when Delonte West seems to be the only guy that can make a play besides LeBron when needed then you're in trouble.Daniel Gibson is the only other player who you can count on.

[Plainview1981]

The only thing difference is LJ. Without him Cleveland is garbage. Just look at the rest of their roster. It's junk.

[Plainview1981]

Who else? A washed up Ben Wallace? Wally World? C'mon.

[Diesel]

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Since Chris joined Danny Ferry and Lance Blanks in Cleveland, they have won 50, 50, and 45 games.

So you want to related Grant to the Cavs over the last three??

Trading their future of Gooden and Hughes for Szerbiac, Wallace, and Smith??

Signing Damon Jones to a big deal?

You can't pick and choose what Grant is responsible for.

[Diesel]

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It's not a scary thought that Chris Grant is the top guy. Chris is considered to be one of the top young future general managers in basketball. His name was being thrown around as a future general manager back when he was with the Hawks. His experience in Cleveland has only helped to broaden his career. Since Chris joined Danny Ferry and Lance Blanks in Cleveland, they have won 50, 50, and 45 games.

Cavs Success=Lebron James

Amen.

Really, since Danny Ferry has been GM in Cleveland they have done nothing to help the cavs be more competitive. James is the driving force and will be it until he's gone. So far the Ferry years have been a collection of bad signings and bad trades.

[khaos7]

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It's not a scary thought that Chris Grant is the top guy. Chris is considered to be one of the top young future general managers in basketball. His name was being thrown around as a future general manager back when he was with the Hawks. His experience in Cleveland has only helped to broaden his career. Since Chris joined Danny Ferry and Lance Blanks in Cleveland, they have won 50, 50, and 45 games.

Cavs Success=Lebron James

Amen.

Really, since Danny Ferry has been GM in Cleveland they have done nothing to help the cavs be more competitive. James is the driving force and will be it until he's gone. So far the Ferry years have been a collection of bad signings and bad trades.

Thank you! If the ping pong balls didn't fall Cleveland's way, they'd be in worst shape than the Hawks. Take Lebron off the Cavs and take Joe off the Hawks, whose's roster looks better? This a shame to see the type of ensemble they've surround Lebron with. I don't want anything to do with Grant.

[KB21]

That was a great trade for the Cavs. It made them better defensively, and that's what got them into the second round of the playoffs this year. Drew Gooden is nothing more than a bit player, and Larry Hughes was never healthy enough in Cleveland to make an impact for them. Getting Ben Wallace and Joe Smith improved their defense, and getting Wally gave them the perimeter shooter they needed. That team was just a couple of plays from playing Detroit in the finals right now, and it isn't driven completely by LeBron James.

[exodus]

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That was a great trade for the Cavs. It made them better defensively, and that's what got them into the second round of the playoffs this year. Drew Gooden is nothing more than a bit player, and Larry Hughes was never healthy enough in Cleveland to make an impact for them. Getting Ben Wallace and Joe Smith improved their defense, and getting Wally gave them the perimeter shooter they needed. That team was just a couple of plays from playing Detroit in the finals right now, and it isn't driven completely by LeBron James.

The Cavs made the finals last year. They basically played .500 ball after the trade. It is hard to say that the trade really made them better.

Drafting Gibson in the 2nd round is the only move i have seen that has really helped them.

[coachx]

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Since Chris joined Danny Ferry and Lance Blanks in Cleveland, they have won 50, 50, and 45 games.

So you want to related Grant to the Cavs over the last three??

Trading their future of Gooden and Hughes for Szerbiac, Wallace, and Smith??

Signing Damon Jones to a big deal?

You can't pick and choose what Grant is responsible for.

Lets keep it real in terms of the referenced trade.

Gooden and Hughes as their future ? Hughes was a dissapointment from the get go in Cleveland. They saw him as Jame's Pippen, if you will, due to his defensive prowess. However both James and Hughes are too inconsistent from the perimeter for offensive chemistry to work. It was a disater offensively with those two. They just could not complement one another. Gooden and Big Z were pretty soft defensively too as a starting front court unit. They both demand the ball in the post to be effective so they in essence were cancelling each other out on offense (much like Curry and Randolph in NY).

You forgot to mention they got Delonte West. He seems to be the most important part in the deal. A tough nosed, young, defender who can create from the perimeter for others (relieving more pressure off James then Hughes did). He is also more consistent from the outside then Hughes (which relieves even more pressure off James then Highes did). Not to mention West was a defensive upgrade over D. Gibson as PG while being big enough to switch over the SG for a small line up.

Lets keep it real:

Cavs traded Gooden, Hughes, Newbell, Griffin, Marshall (3 players who were dead weight)

for

Joe Smith, D. West, B. Wallace, Wally Z. (4 useful players who all fill roles.)

1. Wally was the consistent shooter to open the floor for James they were missing. (Only 1 year left on contract)

2. D. West is young and defensivly matchup with a Billups or Parker much better then Gibson. Smith and Wallace improved their interior D.

3. Ben Wallace: (They basically ditched Hughes' bad contract for Wallace's bad contract). Neither player fit with their old team but they fill needs for their current teams. (VBulls needed a normal sized SG and Clevland needed more interior toughness, defense, and rebounding. (Only 2 years left on contract)

4. Joe Smith - vet who has no problem coming off the bench and will alwayse give 100% effort. Also still has some game as former #1 pick. He and Antonio McDeysse are two solid old vets any coach would love to have. He ended up closing out the 2nd round playoff games with them. Great locker room influence.

The GM knew he better keep James happy or he is gone. That trade made James feel like he was going into the playoffs with a better team then he had last year and he feels like ownership is in his corner.

Plus all these players contracts are up in time to free up money for James and the rest of the 2010 FA class.

I see this as an extemely smart trade that bettered the team for the "now" while keeping an eye on the future.

[mattlanta]

Why do people think Grant will make as big as mistakes as Billy Knight? I mean, I'm sure there is a possibility that he will draft busts and miss the super stars, but all of the general managers have that risk factor...

[DrReality]

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I maintain that if the Hawks were searching for someone that would keep Mike Woodson, the hire would be Billy King, not Chris Grant.

With Chris Grant as GM, I won't be surprised if he brings in Eric Musselman as head coach. I think Tyrone Corbin will be a candidate as well.

I hope you are right. I'm much rather have muscleman than Woody. Not sure about Corbin.

[Seano]

Wow. A guy who's apprenticed and learned under Pete Babcock, Billy Knight, and Danny Ferry. Color me *highly* unimpressed.

I wonder how it is he's become the one and only contender for the job? Did everyone else turn the ASG down, or is this the guy they really wanted all along?

[KB21]

I agree. I forgot about West being a part of that deal. I think he would be an excellent combo guard/defender/shooter off the bench for the Hawks next year.

That trade was very good for the Cavaliers as it signaled that they were locking up their playoff spot, plus it was made with an eye towards the future.

For Chicago, it was a sign that they were giving up on the season. Larry Hughes is good for them, but Drew Gooden is a near worthless player who is soft defensively.

[DrReality]

Drafting Gibson in the 2nd round is the only move i have seen that has really helped them.

Agree with that.

Irregardless of the trades, Grant has to be better with media relations, being civil to the press and making himself available. BK was a pissed off black man.