Hawks restructure basketball operations, open search for new GM
ATLANTA — Mike Budenholzer and Wes Wilcox resigned from their respective positions as president of basketball operations and general manager for the Atlanta Hawks as the organization overhauls its front office, the team announced Friday morning.
The organization will immediately open a search to find its next general manager.
Budenholzer, the 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year, will retain his duties as the franchise’s head coach for a fifth season. Wilcox will now serve as special adviser to ownership. Budenholzer, who was promoted to head of basketball operations following Danny Ferry’s departure, will remain involved in personnel decisions.
“I think, from a franchise perspective, what we’re hoping will be better is that the evaluation decision-making process for all of us to be shall we call it a championship-caliber team. That’s what we’re looking for. We need more," Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said on a Friday morning conference call. " … I think we as a franchise need more firepower to get to that next level. And like a lot of other owners, I’m sure, but at least here in Atlanta we’re trying to get to that next level. We get what the objective is, and we thought we needed more firepower to get there.”
Ressler said he reached his decision to shake up basketball operations and find a new voice following "fairly exhaustive" postseason discussions with both Budenholzer and Wilcox. According to Ressler, all parties concluded the move would be "positive for the franchise."
“I think each of them individually, at least in my year-end discussions with them, neither felt, shall we say, that we were operating to the best of our abilities as a franchise," Ressler said.
The ownership group will rely upon an executive search firm to find its next general manager.
Ressler framed the search as wide-open in nature, one which would ideally end before the NBA Draft (June 22) and free agency begins in July.
Within basketball operations, the new GM will have final say on basketball personnel decisions.
“We don’t want to rush into something as important as this is for the franchise," Ressler said of the search. "We do think we can find a really high-quality general manager to help our existing process. And that’s the objective."
Atlanta’s high-profile offseason resulted in a disappointing first-round exit in the playoffs at the hands of the Washington Wizards. As former centerpiece Al Horford left in free agency, joining the Boston Celtics, the front office traded starting point guard Jeff Teague — handing over the keys to young floor general Dennis Schroder — signed future Hall of Fame center Dwight Howard (three years, $70 million) and retained the services of Kent Bazemore (four years, $70 million).
Though the team extended its Eastern Conference-best playoff streak, it won five fewer games as the roster struggled to gel.
Now the franchise faces another pivotal offseason as All-Star forward Paul Millsap enters unrestricted free agency alongside veteran wing Thabo Sefolosha. Another key member of the Hawks’ 2016-17 rotation, Tim Hardaway Jr., is also an intriguing restricted free agent.
"For our franchise, I believe that this was a necessary and positive set of changes. 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."
Aside from an intricate web of offseason decisions, the Hawks franchise can offer enticing perks for a prospective general manager: a $50 million, state-of-the-art practice facility in Brookhaven is expected to open prior to next season, a new D-League affiliate will start playing in 2019 and Philips Arena will soon receive a $192.5 million facelift.
