Give Knicks owner James Dolan this: He was so committed to winning, he spent an unheard of $60 million over five years to hire a lead basketball executive. This is how big-market teams should leverage their advantages, spending big on positions that don’t count toward the salary cap.
Dolan’s problem is that he hired Phil Jackson, who had no front-office experience.
If you’re going to offer the highest salary in the league, why not try to poach someone who’s already succeeding in the same role?
It seems the Lakers, who are looking for a general manager to work under new president Magic Johnson, understand that better,
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
Before the Lakers fired Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss on Tuesday, the franchise had already moved away from trying to pursue the Golden State Warriors’ Bob Myers, the franchise’s original top target for general manager, league sources told The Vertical.
After Myers signed a recent contract extension, it became clear to Lakers brass that it would be unable to lure Myers, league sources said.
Myers inherited Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, but he drafted Draymond Green and lured Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala to Golden State. The 2015 Executive of the Year, Myers has cemented himself among the league’s best.
The Lakers had little shot of getting him, though. Myers already holds the president title so it would have been tough to see him leaving for a lesser role — especially in the midst of so much success. The Warriors also possess the financial wherewithal to hang with the Lakers in a bidding war.
But good for the Lakers for trying.
If not Myers himself, it seems Los Angeles likes the idea of an agent-turned-general. Kobe Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, has emerged high on the list of candidates.
