Background, career path, and verified fun facts on the executive running each NBA front office. Every detail is sourced from official team sites, league reporting, and reference records.
Andy Elisburg has been with the Miami Heat since the franchise's very first season in 1988, climbing from public-relations intern to general manager and becoming one of the NBA's foremost salary-cap experts.
Raised in Potomac, Maryland, Elisburg earned a sports administration degree from St. Thomas University in Miami, where he was the men's basketball student manager and student-newspaper editor. He joined the Heat as a public relations intern in November 1988, the franchise's inaugural season, and never left. A salary-cap and luxury-tax specialist, he was promoted to general manager in September 2013 and reports to team president Pat Riley. He played roles in the moves that built three championship teams.
Fun facts
- He has worked for the Heat since the franchise's very first season in 1988, starting as a PR intern.
- He was the editor of his college student newspaper and a team manager at St. Thomas University.
- He is regarded as one of the league's top salary-cap and luxury-tax experts.
- He had a hand in the decisions to draft Dwyane Wade and acquire Shaquille O'Neal and the Big Three.
Anthony Parker is a former EuroLeague MVP and NBA wing who climbed from Magic scout to G League executive to general manager of the Orlando Magic, completing a rare player-to-GM ascent.
Born in Naperville, Illinois in 1975, Parker starred at Bradley University, where he was Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, and was drafted 21st overall in 1997. After limited early NBA stops he became a star with Maccabi Tel Aviv, winning two EuroLeague titles and back-to-back EuroLeague MVP awards (2005, 2006), then returned to the NBA with the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers. He retired in 2012, became a Magic scout, ran the G League's Lakeland Magic, served as assistant GM, and was promoted to Orlando Magic general manager on July 5, 2023, under president Jeff Weltman.
Fun facts
- He won back-to-back EuroLeague MVP awards (2005, 2006) and two EuroLeague titles with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- His sister Candace Parker was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2008 WNBA Draft.
- He climbed from Magic scout to G League GM to assistant GM before being named Orlando's general manager.
Ben Tenzer is a longtime Denver Nuggets executive who was promoted to executive vice president of basketball operations in June 2025, part of an unconventional front-office structure created after the team parted with coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth.
A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder and Southwestern Law School, Tenzer joined the Nuggets in 2012 and spent four seasons as vice president of basketball operations. After Denver fired Malone and Booth late in the 2024-25 regular season, Tenzer served as interim general manager, then was formally promoted in June 2025 to executive vice president of basketball operations, sharing front-office leadership with Jon Wallace under team president Josh Kroenke.
Fun facts
- He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder and earned a law degree from Southwestern Law School.
- He joined the Nuggets in 2012 and was entering his 17th season with the organization when promoted to EVP.
- He shares Denver's lead front-office duties with Jon Wallace in an unconventional two-executive structure.
Bobby Webster, a Hawaii native who became the youngest GM in the NBA when he was hired, rose from the league office to run the Toronto Raptors as Masai Ujiri's right-hand executive.
Born in 1984 in Hawaii, Webster graduated from the ʻIolani School and earned an economics degree from UC Santa Barbara in three years. He spent seven years at the NBA League Office under David Stern and Adam Silver before Masai Ujiri made him his first Raptors hire in 2013 as vice president of basketball management and strategy. He became assistant GM in 2016 and general manager in June 2017 — the youngest GM in the league at the time. In August 2025 the Raptors promoted him to head of basketball operations.
Fun facts
- He was the youngest general manager in the NBA at the time he was hired.
- He completed his UC Santa Barbara economics degree in just three years.
- He spent seven years working in the NBA league office before joining a team.
- He was Masai Ujiri's very first hire when Ujiri took over the Raptors in 2013.
Brad Stevens left a pharmaceutical-company desk job to chase coaching, took mid-major Butler to two national title games, then jumped from the Celtics bench to the front office — where he has won NBA Executive of the Year multiple times and built a championship roster.
Born in Zionsville, Indiana in 1976, Stevens played at DePauw University and earned an economics degree before quitting his marketing job at Eli Lilly to join Butler's basketball staff as a volunteer in 2000. Promoted to head coach in 2007, he went 166-49 and led Butler to back-to-back NCAA championship games in 2010 and 2011. The Boston Celtics hired him as head coach in 2013; he made the playoffs in seven straight seasons and reached three Eastern Conference Finals. In June 2021 he succeeded Danny Ainge as president of basketball operations, taking on general-manager powers. He was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2024 and again in 2026.
Fun facts
- He walked away from a marketing job at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to take an unpaid volunteer role at Butler.
- He is the only coach in Butler history to lead the school to the NCAA Division I national championship game — and he did it twice.
- He won NBA Executive of the Year in two of three seasons (2024 and 2026).
- He earned his economics degree at Division III DePauw, where he also played.
Brian Gregory spent nearly two decades as a college head coach — including a national championship as a Michigan State assistant — before becoming general manager of the Phoenix Suns in 2025.
Born in Mount Prospect, Illinois in 1966, Gregory played college basketball at the Naval Academy and Oakland University. He was an assistant under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, helping win the 2000 NCAA championship, then was head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida across 19 seasons. He joined the Suns' front office as vice president of player programming and was named general manager on May 1, 2025; Suns owner Mat Ishbia was a member of that 2000 Michigan State title team.
Fun facts
- He won the 2000 NCAA championship as an assistant coach under Tom Izzo at Michigan State.
- Suns owner Mat Ishbia was a player on that same 2000 Michigan State championship team.
- He was a college head coach for 19 seasons at Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida before joining the Suns.
Brian Wright is a former Division III guard who became a respected talent evaluator across Orlando and Detroit before taking over as San Antonio Spurs general manager — overseeing the draft that landed Victor Wembanyama.
Born in 1983 and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, Wright played Division III basketball at La Sierra University and earned a master's in sport business management from UCF's DeVos program. He started his NBA career as a summer intern with the Orlando Magic in 2006, rising to director of college scouting, then spent two seasons as the Detroit Pistons' assistant general manager. San Antonio promoted him to general manager in 2019. The Spurs selected Devin Vassell in 2020 and, after winning the 2023 draft lottery, made Victor Wembanyama the No. 1 overall pick.
Fun facts
- He played Division III basketball at La Sierra University and is in its sports hall of fame.
- He started his NBA career as an Orlando Magic summer intern in 2006.
- He oversaw the Spurs' selection of Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick in 2023.
- He holds a master's degree in sport business management from UCF's DeVos program.
Chad Buchanan is a former Division III two-sport athlete from Iowa who became a respected scout and, as the Pacers' general manager, helped build a contender — with a draft history that includes pulling the trigger on the pick that became Damian Lillard.
Born in 1972, Buchanan attended Simpson College in Iowa, where he played both basketball and baseball, helping the basketball team to a conference title and the NCAA tournament. He spent a decade with the Portland Trail Blazers, mostly as director of college scouting, and as Portland's interim GM in 2011-12 made the trade that landed the first-round pick used to draft Damian Lillard. After two seasons as assistant GM in Charlotte, he was hired as the Indiana Pacers' general manager in June 2017.
Fun facts
- He was a two-sport college athlete at Simpson College — a guard in basketball and a pitcher in baseball.
- As Portland's interim GM he made the trade that brought back the pick used to draft Damian Lillard.
- He set a single-season school three-point record at Simpson and ranks among its career leaders.
- He spent roughly a decade in Portland's front office, primarily running college scouting.
David Griffin worked his way up from a Phoenix Suns public-relations intern to a championship-winning general manager, building the Cleveland roster that delivered the city its first title in 52 years before leading the New Orleans Pelicans.
Born in Phoenix in 1973, Griffin interned with the Suns' PR department while still a college student at Arizona State, then spent 17 years with Phoenix, moving from media relations into basketball operations and eventually senior vice president. He joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 and became GM in 2014; the Cavs reached three straight Finals and won the 2016 championship — Cleveland's first major pro title in 52 years. The Pelicans named him executive vice president of basketball operations in April 2019. New Orleans parted ways with him in April 2025.
Fun facts
- He started as a Phoenix Suns public-relations intern while still a student at Arizona State.
- He spent 17 years with the Suns before moving on to Cleveland.
- As Cavaliers GM he built the team that won Cleveland's first major pro title in 52 years (2016).
- He was noticed by Jerry Colangelo and Danny Ainge for the detailed notes he prepared for the media.
Elton Brand is a two-time NBA All-Star and former No. 1 overall pick who became the Philadelphia 76ers' general manager in 2018, overseeing the franchise during its star-driven contention years.
Born in Cortlandt Manor, New York in 1979, Brand was a consensus National Player of the Year at Duke before the Chicago Bulls took him first overall in the 1999 NBA Draft. He was co-Rookie of the Year in 2000 and a two-time All-Star across a 17-year career with the Bulls, Clippers, Sixers, Mavericks and Hawks. After retiring, he ran the franchise's G League affiliate, then was promoted to Philadelphia 76ers general manager on September 20, 2018, working under president of basketball operations Daryl Morey since 2020.
Fun facts
- He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft and co-Rookie of the Year in 2000.
- As GM during the 2018-19 season he traded for both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris.
- He played 17 NBA seasons, including parts of five with the 76ers, before joining their front office.
Gersson Rosas is a veteran executive and the NBA's first Latino lead basketball-operations executive, who rose through the Houston Rockets before taking on a senior role with the New York Knicks.
Born in Bogota, Colombia and raised in the United States from age three, Rosas graduated cum laude from the University of Houston with degrees in marketing and international business. He joined the Houston Rockets in 2003 and worked his way up to executive vice president of basketball operations under Daryl Morey, also serving as GM of the franchise's G League affiliate. He briefly became the NBA's first Latino GM with Dallas in 2013, ran the Minnesota Timberwolves' basketball operations from 2019 to 2021, then joined the Knicks as a senior advisor in 2022 and was named senior vice president of basketball operations in 2023.
Fun facts
- He is the NBA's first Latino lead basketball-operations executive.
- He was born in Bogota, Colombia and immigrated to the United States at age three.
- He spent more than 15 years with the Houston Rockets, rising from scout to executive vice president.
Jeff Peterson is a former college point guard who began in the NBA as an intern and rose to run a front office, taking over basketball operations for the Charlotte Hornets in 2024.
Born in Springfield, Missouri in 1989, Peterson prepped at DeMatha Catholic in the D.C. area and played college basketball at Iowa, Arkansas, and Florida State. He began his NBA front-office career with the Atlanta Hawks in 2012 as a basketball operations intern and climbed quickly — coordinator of basketball operations, director of scouting in 2015, then assistant general manager. He later served as an assistant general manager with the Brooklyn Nets. In early 2024 the Hornets hired him to lead basketball operations, naming him executive vice president of basketball operations in March 2024 and making him the team's primary basketball decision-maker, succeeding longtime executive Mitch Kupchak.
Fun facts
- He played Division I basketball at three schools — Iowa, Arkansas, and Florida State.
- He started his NBA career as an Atlanta Hawks intern and rose to assistant GM within a few years.
- He prepped at powerhouse DeMatha Catholic High School outside Washington, D.C.
- He worked under future Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall early in his Atlanta tenure.
Joe Cronin spent 15 years climbing the Portland Trail Blazers' front office — from basketball operations intern to salary-cap analyst to general manager — and earned the permanent job after steadying the franchise through turmoil.
Cronin joined the Trail Blazers as a basketball operations intern in 2006, became a pro scout and salary-cap analyst in 2010, and rose to assistant general manager in 2021. He was named interim GM in December 2021 after Neil Olshey was fired following a workplace investigation, and Portland removed the interim tag in May 2022, signing him to a multi-year deal. The team later extended his contract.
Fun facts
- He started with the Trail Blazers as a basketball operations intern back in 2006.
- He spent years as Portland's dedicated salary-cap analyst before moving into the GM chair.
- He took over as interim GM in December 2021 and earned the permanent role months later.
- He has roughly two decades of front-office experience, almost all of it in Portland.
Jon Horst worked overnight shifts at FedEx to support himself as a low-paid NBA staffer, then became the youngest GM in the league — and built the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo that ended Milwaukee's 50-year title drought.
Born in 1983, Horst won back-to-back USCAA national titles as a player at Rochester College. He began his NBA career as an unpaid intern with the Detroit Pistons in 2005 and, to make ends meet, worked overnight FedEx shifts. He joined the Bucks in 2008 and rose to director of basketball operations. Milwaukee named him general manager in June 2017, making him the youngest GM in the NBA at the time. He built the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, won NBA Executive of the Year in 2019, and constructed the team that won the 2021 championship — the franchise's first in 50 years.
Fun facts
- He worked overnight shifts at FedEx to support himself early in his NBA career.
- He won back-to-back USCAA national championships as a college player at Rochester College.
- At 34 he became the youngest general manager in the NBA at the time of his hiring.
- He won NBA Executive of the Year in 2019 and built Milwaukee's 2021 title team.
Justin Zanik is a former player agent who became the Utah Jazz's general manager in 2019, drawing on years of contract-negotiation experience to manage the Jazz's cap, scouting and roster building.
Raised in Missouri, Zanik earned an economics degree from Northwestern University. He began his career at Priority Sports and Entertainment and later spent a decade as a certified player agent at ASM Sports. He moved into the NBA as assistant general manager of the Utah Jazz (2013-2016), spent a year as assistant GM of the Milwaukee Bucks, then returned to Utah and was named general manager on May 10, 2019, succeeding Dennis Lindsey.
Fun facts
- He worked for more than a decade as a certified NBA player agent before moving into a front office.
- He earned an economics degree from Northwestern University, where he initially studied music.
- He has worked two separate stints with the Jazz, returning as GM in 2019 after an earlier run as assistant GM.
Matt Lloyd is a veteran scout who was promoted to general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, serving as the No. 2 in the front office behind president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
A Chicago native, Lloyd got his start in basketball in public relations before becoming a scout. He spent 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, the last five as their director of college scouting, then 10 seasons with the Orlando Magic. He joined the Timberwolves as senior vice president of basketball operations and was promoted to general manager after two seasons in that role, leading much of Minnesota's draft scouting process.
Fun facts
- He spent 13 seasons with his hometown Chicago Bulls, the last five as director of college scouting.
- He got his start in basketball working in public relations before moving into scouting.
- He and Tim Connelly have known each other for more than two decades, dating back to their days as scouts.
Trajan Langdon — the "Alaskan Assassin" who became the first Alaskan to play in the NBA — built a long executive resume across Brooklyn and New Orleans before taking over basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons.
An All-American at Duke, Langdon set the school's career three-point record and was the 11th overall pick in the 1999 draft by Cleveland, becoming the first Alaska-raised player in NBA history. He went on to a successful playing career in Europe, winning a EuroLeague title with CSKA Moscow. He moved into front-office work, serving as assistant GM of the Brooklyn Nets (2016-2019) and then general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans (2019-2024). The Pistons hired him as president of basketball operations on May 31, 2024.
Fun facts
- His college nickname was "The Alaskan Assassin," and he became the first Alaskan to play in the NBA.
- He set Duke's career record for made three-pointers.
- He won a EuroLeague championship as a player with CSKA Moscow.
- A knee injury cost him an entire sophomore season, so he finished at Duke as a fifth-year senior.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. is a Duke national champion and 15-year NBA veteran — and the son of a longtime NBA coach — who joined the Warriors as a scout and rose to general manager in just five years.
Dunleavy helped Duke win the 2001 NCAA championship and was a consensus second-team All-American in 2002, then was the third overall pick of the 2002 draft. He played 15 NBA seasons for six teams, including a career-best 19.1 points per game with the Pacers. He joined Golden State as a pro scout in 2018, was promoted to assistant GM in 2019, then vice president of basketball operations in 2021, and finally general manager in June 2023 after Bob Myers stepped down.
Fun facts
- He is the son of former NBA player and head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr.
- He won the 2001 NCAA championship at Duke and was a 2002 consensus All-American.
- He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft — by the very Warriors team he now runs.
- He went from Golden State pro scout (2018) to general manager (2023) in five years.
Mike Gansey was an undrafted college star whose NBA dreams were derailed by a near-catastrophic infection — and who instead built a front-office career, rising from the G League to general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Born in 1982 and raised in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, Gansey was a high-school star who finished second in Ohio's Mr. Basketball voting behind LeBron James. He played at St. Bonaventure before transferring to West Virginia, where he earned First-Team All-Big East honors and was a Wooden and Naismith Award finalist as a senior. He went undrafted in 2006 and a serious MRSA infection cost him an NBA shot; he played professionally overseas and in the G League before retiring in 2011. He joined the Cavaliers organization with their G League affiliate, won D-League Executive/GM of the Year in 2017, became assistant GM under Koby Altman, and was promoted to Cavaliers general manager in February 2022. In May 2026 he agreed to become president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Fun facts
- As a high-school senior he finished second in Ohio Mr. Basketball voting — behind LeBron James.
- He went undrafted in 2006 after MRSA infections nearly cost him his leg and his career.
- He was named D-League Executive/GM of the Year in 2017.
- He played his college ball under John Beilein at West Virginia, reaching an Elite Eight.
Mike Schmitz is a former national draft analyst who became the Dallas Mavericks' general manager in May 2026, hired by team president Masai Ujiri to oversee day-to-day basketball operations as the franchise opened a new era around Cooper Flagg.
Schmitz built his reputation as a draft analyst for ESPN beginning in 2017, widely regarded as one of the sport's top talent evaluators. He joined the Portland Trail Blazers' front office in May 2022 and rose to assistant general manager. The Mavericks hired him as general manager on May 8, 2026, one of Masai Ujiri's first moves after taking over as team president; the lead basketball role had been open since owner Patrick Dumont fired Nico Harrison the previous November.
Fun facts
- Before working in an NBA front office he spent years as a draft analyst for ESPN, starting in 2017.
- He joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022 and rose to assistant general manager before the Mavericks hire.
- He reports to team president Masai Ujiri, who hired him within his first weeks running Dallas.
Onsi Saleh is a lawyer-turned-executive who became the Atlanta Hawks' general manager in April 2025, then was promoted to president of basketball operations in May 2026 after a quick rebuild that included trading franchise guard Trae Young.
Born in Austin, Texas and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Saleh earned a bachelor's in biological sciences and an after-degree in history from the University of Alberta, then a law degree from Tulane in 2017. He joined the San Antonio Spurs in 2019 as director of strategy and chief of staff, moved to the Golden State Warriors as vice president of basketball strategy and team counsel, and joined the Hawks as assistant general manager in 2024. Atlanta promoted him to general manager on April 21, 2025, and to president of basketball operations on May 27, 2026.
Fun facts
- He was raised in Edmonton, Alberta and attended the University of Alberta before earning a law degree at Tulane.
- He holds a juris doctor and worked as team counsel for the Golden State Warriors before moving into a lead front-office role.
- He finished as a runner-up in NBA Executive of the Year voting in his first full season running the Hawks.
Rafael Stone is a Stanford-trained lawyer who joined the Houston Rockets as general counsel and rose to general manager, overseeing a rapid rebuild back into Western Conference contention.
A Seattle native, Stone earned an undergraduate degree in African American studies and political science from Williams College, where he played four years of Division III basketball, then graduated from Stanford Law School. He worked as a mergers-and-acquisitions and capital-markets attorney at Dewey Ballantine in New York before joining the Rockets in 2005 as general counsel. He was later promoted to executive vice president of basketball operations while still serving as general counsel, and owner Tilman Fertitta named him general manager on October 15, 2020.
Fun facts
- He played four seasons of Division III college basketball at Williams College.
- His undergraduate degree is in African American studies and political science.
- He is a Stanford Law graduate who practiced mergers-and-acquisitions law before joining the NBA.
- He joined the Rockets as general counsel in 2005, years before becoming GM.
Rob Pelinka won a national title at Michigan, became one of the most powerful agents in basketball as Kobe Bryant's representative, and now runs the Los Angeles Lakers as president of basketball operations and general manager.
Born in 1969, Pelinka won the 1989 NCAA championship as a Michigan player and reached three Final Fours, then earned a business degree from Michigan's Ross School and a law degree, cum laude, from Michigan Law. As a sports agent he founded Landmark Sports Agency and represented Kobe Bryant, earning a spot among Forbes' top sports agents. The Lakers hired him as general manager in 2017 alongside Magic Johnson; he was later promoted to president of basketball operations while remaining GM, and helped deliver the 2020 NBA championship.
Fun facts
- He won the 1989 NCAA championship as a player at Michigan and reached three Final Fours.
- He earned both a business degree and a cum laude law degree from the University of Michigan.
- As a sports agent he represented Kobe Bryant and was ranked among Forbes' top sports agents.
- He acquired Anthony Davis in the 2025 trade that sent Luka Doncic to Dallas.
Sam Presti began as a Spurs video intern and, at age 30, became one of the youngest lead executives in NBA history — building the Oklahoma City Thunder through patient drafting and a record stockpile of picks into the 2025 NBA champions.
Born in 1977, Presti played college basketball at Emerson College and Virginia Wesleyan and broke into the NBA in 2000 as a San Antonio Spurs video intern, rising to vice president and assistant GM while winning three titles. He is credited with recommending Tony Parker at No. 28 in 2001. He was hired to run the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City franchise in 2007 at age 30, drafting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, and later assembling Oklahoma City's 2025 championship team. He is among the longest-tenured lead executives in the league.
Fun facts
- He broke into the NBA as a San Antonio Spurs video intern in 2000.
- He is credited with pushing the Spurs to draft Tony Parker at No. 28 overall in 2001.
- He was about 30 years old when hired to run the franchise — among the youngest ever.
- He won Oklahoma City's first NBA championship in 2025.
Scott Perry is a veteran NBA executive with a quarter-century of front-office experience who returned to the Sacramento Kings as general manager in 2025, a second stint with the organization.
A former Eastern Kentucky head coach, Perry built a long executive career with stops including the Detroit Pistons, where he was part of the 2004 NBA champions, the Seattle SuperSonics, the Orlando Magic, and a 2017 stint as a Kings executive. He was general manager of the New York Knicks from 2017 to 2023, helping build a roster that reached the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, then worked as a broadcast analyst before the Kings hired him as general manager on April 21, 2025, replacing Monte McNair.
Fun facts
- He was part of the Detroit Pistons' front office when they won the 2004 NBA championship.
- As Knicks GM he helped assemble a roster that reached the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
- His 2025 hiring marked his second stint with the Kings organization.
Sean Marks was the first New Zealand-born player in the NBA, and after a journeyman 11-year playing career he learned the executive trade in the Spurs' system before taking over a stripped-down Brooklyn Nets and methodically rebuilding it.
Born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1975, Marks attended Rangitoto College, then moved to the U.S. to play at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a political science degree in 1998. Drafted 44th in 1998 and dealt on draft night, he played for six franchises across an NBA career that included a 2005 title with the San Antonio Spurs. He retired in 2011 and joined the Spurs' front office, serving as GM of their G League affiliate (the Austin Toros) and as an assistant coach, winning a second ring as a Spurs assistant in 2014. Brooklyn hired him as general manager in February 2016.
Fun facts
- He was the first New Zealand-born player ever to appear in an NBA game.
- He was traded on draft night in 1998, packaged with Charles Oakley to Toronto for Marcus Camby.
- He has two championship rings with the Spurs — one as a player (2005) and one as an assistant coach (2014).
- He majored in political science at Cal-Berkeley.
Bryson Graham took over the Chicago Bulls' front office in 2026 as executive vice president of basketball operations after working his way up from intern to general manager over 15 years in New Orleans and a season helping remake the Atlanta Hawks.
Graham spent 15 years with the New Orleans Pelicans (2010-2025), rising from an intern to general manager, a role he held in the 2024-25 season. Atlanta hired him as senior vice president of basketball operations under GM Onsi Saleh in 2025, where he helped overhaul the Hawks' front office. The Bulls hired him in May 2026 to lead their basketball operations after parting with executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley.
Fun facts
- He spent 15 seasons in New Orleans, climbing from an intern in 2010-11 to the Pelicans' general manager.
- His New Orleans draft track record includes Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
- He spent just one season with the Hawks before being hired to run the Bulls' front office.
Trent Redden is a longtime talent evaluator who won an NBA title in Cleveland before becoming the Los Angeles Clippers' general manager in 2023, succeeding Lawrence Frank atop the basketball-operations staff.
Born in Portland, Oregon in 1983, Redden played briefly at SMU and graduated in 2006. He began his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007 as a basketball operations manager and scout, rising to assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations and earning an NBA championship in 2016. He joined the Clippers as assistant general manager in 2017 and was promoted to general manager in 2023.
Fun facts
- He won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 while serving as an assistant GM.
- He spent roughly ten years in Cleveland before joining the Clippers' front office in 2017.
- He played college basketball at SMU, appearing in only three career games during the 2003-04 season.
Will Dawkins is one of the NBA's youngest general managers, hired by the Washington Wizards in 2023 after a 15-year climb through the Oklahoma City Thunder organization.
A Springfield, Massachusetts native, Dawkins led his high school to a 2004 Division I state title and played at Emerson College, where he captained the team and was a two-time Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar All-American. He joined the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008 as an intern and rose from assistant video coordinator to scouting coordinator to director of college player personnel to vice president of basketball operations. On June 8, 2023, the Wizards named him general manager under Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger.
Fun facts
- He spent 15 years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, starting as an intern in 2008.
- He was a two-time Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar All-American while captaining Emerson College's team.
- At 37 he was one of the youngest general managers in the NBA when the Wizards hired him.
Zachary Kleiman is a lawyer-turned-executive who became one of the NBA's youngest lead decision-makers, running the Memphis Grizzlies' basketball operations and building a young, fast-rising roster around Ja Morant.
Kleiman earned his law degree and worked in the legal field before joining the Memphis Grizzlies' front office. He rose quickly through the organization and was elevated to lead basketball-operations decision-maker, ultimately holding the executive vice president of basketball operations title. Under his watch Memphis drafted Ja Morant, won NBA Executive of the Year for the 2021-22 season, and became a consistent Western Conference playoff team.
Fun facts
- He was named NBA Executive of the Year for the 2021-22 season.
- He was one of the youngest lead front-office executives in the NBA when he took over basketball operations.
- He oversaw the Grizzlies' rebuild around Ja Morant and a young, high-paced core.
