NBA groups don’t substitute their high entrance workplace decision-makers as usually as they swap out their head coaches, but it surely’s nonetheless an achievement to spend greater than 5 seasons as a crew’s head of basketball operations. Presently, solely a 3rd of the league’s high executives (10 of 30) could make that declare, with one other 4 set to enter their sixth season in 2024/25.
Though just one individual holds a crew’s head teaching job, that very same crew may carry a wide range of entrance workplace executives with titles like normal supervisor, president of basketball operations, or govt VP of basketball operations. In some circumstances, it’s not at all times which clear which govt must be thought of the membership’s head of basketball operations, or which one has the last word ultimate say on roster choices. That distinction turns into much more nebulous when bearing in mind crew possession.
For our checklist of the longest-tenured GMs/presidents within the NBA, we’ve accomplished our greatest to establish the highest exec in every entrance workplace, but when a state of affairs isn’t completely clear-cut, we’ve made a word beneath.
One crew whose actual hierarchy is unclear is the Spurs. Head coach Gregg Popovich has lengthy held the title of president of basketball operations, although it’s a secure guess he isn’t overly concerned in day-to-day entrance workplace operations. Whereas normal supervisor Brian Wright and CEO RC Buford are additionally believed to have vital voices in personnel choices, we’re contemplating Popovich to be the top of basketball operations in San Antonio based mostly on his title, that means he tops the checklist, narrowly edging out Warmth president Pat Riley.
Right here’s the checklist of the NBA’s longest-tenured heads of basketball operations, together with their respective titles and the dates they have been employed or promoted:
- Gregg Popovich, Spurs (president): Might 31, 1994
- Brian Wright has been the Spurs’ normal supervisor since July 2019 and is believed to steer most entrance workplace enterprise, however Popovich’s title signifies he’s above Wright within the basketball operations hierarchy.
- Brian Wright has been the Spurs’ normal supervisor since July 2019 and is believed to steer most entrance workplace enterprise, however Popovich’s title signifies he’s above Wright within the basketball operations hierarchy.
- Pat Riley, Warmth (president): September 2, 1995
- Sam Presti, Thunder (GM/govt VP): June 7, 2007
- Masai Ujiri, Raptors (president): Might 31, 2013
- Sean Marks, Nets (GM): February 18, 2016
- Kevin Pritchard, Pacers (president): Might 1, 2017
- Jeff Weltman, Magic (president): Might 22, 2017
- Jon Horst, Bucks (GM): June 16, 2017
- Koby Altman, Cavaliers (president): June 19, 2017
- Lawrence Frank, Clippers (president): August 4, 2017
- Rob Pelinka, Lakers (GM/VP): April 9, 2019
- Pelinka has been the Lakers’ GM since February 2017, however was beneath Magic Johnson within the entrance workplace hierarchy till Johnson resigned on April 9, 2019.
- James Jones, Suns (president): April 11, 2019
- Jones started serving because the Suns’ co-interim GM alongside Trevor Bukstein in October 2018, however was named the lone, everlasting head of basketball operations on April 11, 2019.
- Zach Kleiman, Grizzlies (govt VP): April 11, 2019
- David Griffin, Pelicans (govt VP): April 17, 2019
- Leon Rose, Knicks (president): March 2, 2020
- Arturas Karnisovas, Bulls (govt VP): April 13, 2020
- Monte McNair, Kings (GM): September 17, 2020
- Rafael Stone, Rockets (GM): October 15, 2020
- Daryl Morey, Sixers (president): November 2, 2020
- Brad Stevens, Celtics (president): June 2, 2021
- Nico Harrison, Mavericks (GM/president): June 28, 2021
- Joe Cronin, Path Blazers (GM): December 3, 2021
- Cronin assumed the job on an interim foundation on December 3, 2021. He was named the everlasting GM on Might 10, 2022.
- Danny Ainge, Jazz (CEO/alternate governor): December 15, 2021
- Tim Connelly, Timberwolves (president): Might 23, 2022
- Calvin Sales space, Nuggets (GM): Might 23, 2022
- Landry Fields, Hawks (GM): December 21, 2022
- Michael Winger, Wizards (president): Might 25, 2023
- Mike Dunleavy Jr., Warriors (GM): June 16, 2023
- Jeff Peterson, Hornets (govt VP): March 5, 2024
- Trajan Langdon, Pistons (president): Might 31, 2024
Info from Basketball-Reference was used within the creation of this submit.
