Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler confirmed a major management shakeup Friday and expressed hope that the team will hire a new executive to run its basketball operations department before next month’s NBA draft.
The changes leave coach Mike Budenholzer without his dual role as president of basketball operations and Wes Wilcox without his position as general manager. Budenholzer remains head coach, and Wilcox, at least for now, becomes a special advisor to Hawks ownership.
Ressler said the changes, which came only two weeks after he publicly expressed confidence in the existing management, reflect a realization from “thorough, exhaustive discussions” with Budenholzer and Wilcox that the Hawks need help to reach the franchise’s goals.
“We’re doing this in an effort to get better,” Ressler said. “We have had some discussions (about) how do we make ourselves a championship-caliber franchise. And we thought this would be the next step.
“I think we as a franchise need more firepower to get to that next level,” he added.
The Hawks plan to hire one high-powered executive from outside the organization to effectively fill the roles of both president/basketball operations and general manager. Ressler referred to the position to be filled as general manager several times Friday, but when asked he said it’s “uncertain” whether the person also would be called president.
“We have not yet decided if the new GM should acquire that title to be more effective,” Ressler said. “But I can live without the title, I can live with the title. The title is not that relevant.”
In any case, Budenholzer will report to the incoming executive, Ressler said.
The Hawks will conduct “a wide open search,” Ressler said, and “don’t want to rush into something as important as this is for the franchise.”
But he also indicated it won’t be an unnecessarily protracted process.
“We are full steam ahead looking for a GM and hopeful of having one before the draft and free-agent dates,” he said.
The draft is June 22, and the free-agent signing season follows in early July.
“We do feel the search, hopefully, will be resolved before all of these decisions need to be made and have a few weeks to spare,” Ressler said.
An executive search firm will assist with filling the position.
Although names of potential candidates immediately surfaced on social media — NBA reporter Marc Stein tweeted that former Detroit Pistons president/basketball operations Joe Dumars and Cleveland Cavaliers GM David Griffin are “expected to emerge as candidates” — Ressler seemed open to a range of possibilities.
“We think there are all kinds of interesting candidates,” he said. “You always say you want someone with experience, but you also want someone that thinks out of the box. So I don’t have a good answer as to what we’re looking for, except someone that we, when we evaluate, feel relative to the other strengths we have in the franchise can help take us to that next step.
“We are here to try to figure out how to become a championship team, and we’re looking for a true leader in that effort.”
Ressler said Hawks part-owner Grant Hill “gives us great input and will continue to, but I don’t think he has any interest in being president of basketball operations. Nor is he a candidate or whatever.”
The incoming executive will have clear authority over basketball operations, Ressler said: “He will absolutely be in charge, as great GMs should be, of basketball personnel.”
Budenholzer “will have input” on personnel matters “from a head coach’s perspective, which we value,” Ressler said.
Budenholzer, the Hawks’ coach for the past four seasons and president/basketball operations for the past two, called the management shakeup “a necessary and positive set of changes” for the franchise.
“I am fully committed to the Hawks organization and look forward to helping with the search process and eventually working with the incoming GM,” Budenholzer said in a statement. “Together with ownership, the incoming GM and front office staff and our coaching staff, we will continue to work toward building a team that can achieve a high level of sustainable success.”
Wilcox, who has been with the Hawks for five years and was general manager for two, sought to cast the loss of his GM role in a positive light.
“What makes our organization strong is that everyone is working together for the good of the Hawks,” Wilcox said in a statement. “That was my thinking when Bud and I met with ownership after the season and recommended this new structure.
“I’m grateful for my time as general manager and consider it a privilege to be asked by (Ressler) to continue on as a special advisor. I look forward to working closely with ownership to bring a championship to Atlanta.”
Ressler said Wilcox “will have a role here at the Hawks if he wants it, and he’ll have options elsewhere if he prefers it.”
Ressler attempted to reconcile the developments with his comments of two weeks ago.
“I’m doing what I think is best for the franchise,” he said. “I think (Budenholzer and Wilcox) are both smart, capable, competent guys. I thought that two weeks ago, and I think that today.
“But I also ask (questions), every day, every person imaginable, trying to figure out how to make this franchise better, how to move forward, how to make us more of championship caliber. And the truth is we need more help. And we’re going to get it.”
