BCS:BraveCaringSoul
June-30th-2003, 07:40 AM
washingtonpost.com
Milwaukee Releases Grunfeld
Wizards Job May Follow; Bucks Owner Won't Sell
By Steve Wyche
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 30, 2003; Page D01
The Milwaukee Bucks yesterday released General Manager Ernie Grunfeld from the final year of his contract, allowing him to begin official negotiations with the Washington Wizards about their vacant president of basketball operations job.
If hired, Grunfeld would assume the job left vacant by Michael Jordan, who yesterday was no longer a candidate to purchase the Milwaukee franchise. The Bucks' owner, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), pulled out of negotiations to sell the team to Jordan, who played for the past two seasons with Washington before being rebuffed by Wizards owner Abe Pollin in an attempt to regain his front-office job as president of basketball operations. Jordan held the top basketball executive post from January 2000 to September 2001, before coming back to play.
The move to hire Grunfeld has been in the works for days.
"I have one year left on my contract and the Bucks graciously have allowed me to resign and seek employment," Grunfeld said in a statement released by the Bucks.
Grunfeld and his agent were expected to begin talks with Pollin right away. League sources recently said a deal could be finalized by early this week -- maybe as soon as today -- and Grunfeld could be with the Wizards by the time the free agent negotiating period gets underway Tuesday.
The team has called a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today at MCI Center. Initially it was to introduce draft picks Jarvis Hayes and Steve Blake, but the media advisory regarding the news conference gave no specifics about the topic of the assembly. The only other candidates for the basketball operations job known to have spoken to the Wizards are attorney and former University of Maryland star Len Elmore and NBA official and Hall of Fame player Bob Lanier.
The Wizards declined to comment about Grunfeld. It is believed that Milwaukee won't seek compensation from Washington.
Though Kohl's decision to opt out of sale talks with Jordan became public hours after he released Grunfeld from his contract, a source close to the situation said Grunfeld is not expected to try to reacquire his job.
"I have decided not to sell the Milwaukee Bucks at this time, and will continue to own them, improve them, and commit them to remaining in Wisconsin," Kohl said in a statement released by the team. "In the course of negotiations, I and my representatives had detailed discussions with Michael Jordan and his representatives. I must say that I enjoyed those conversations and was pleased with Michael's commitment of substantial personal time and personal financial resources to the proposed transaction. I was also impressed with the quality of the professionals that he was prepared to engage had we gone forward, as well as his willingness to make every effort to keep the team in Wisconsin.
"I think Michael will be an excellent owner of an NBA franchise and have encouraged him, for the benefit of the NBA, to continue his consideration of such an investment. On balance, I simply decided that I am not yet prepared to sell the team at this time and have instructed my representatives, accordingly."
No reason was given as to why the talks suddenly broke off. As recently as Friday, league sources said Jordan and Kohl were close to striking a deal and that acknowledgement of a sale could come early this week. It is not known if Jordan will pursue part ownership and a top basketball operations job in Charlotte, where the expansion Bobcats have pursued him for months.
Jordan would have been the majority owner of the Bucks but would be a minority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, who are owned by Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson. Jordan is said to want final say on all decisions and without the opportunity to be his own boss, he might wait until another team comes up for sale.
Jordan's failed bid to buy the Bucks could have a chilling effect on some of the potential employees he wanted to bring to Milwaukee from Washington. Assistant general manager Rod Higgins, director of player personnel Fred Whitfield, and assistant coaches Patrick Ewing, Larry Drew, Brian James and John Bach each had opportunities to follow Jordan if he acquired the Bucks.
Now, with Grunfeld likely coming in and Wizards ownership seemingly poised to cleanse the franchise of most, if not all of the people Jordan hired, several current employees could be looking for work. Higgins, Whitfield and James, along with former head coach Doug Collins, have multiyear contracts that have to be honored monetarily.
Should Washington land Grunfeld, he would be the team's second major management hire in the past two weeks. Coach Eddie Jordan, a longtime assistant with the New Jersey Nets, was hired to replace Collins on June 19. Jordan and Grunfeld would oversee a young team that just had what some NBA officials said was a good draft and has roughly $6.5 million in salary cap space to pursue free agents.
Grunfeld, who played in the NBA for nine seasons, has orchestrated several trades and free agent moves that helped turn the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks into consistent winners. Both of New York's berths in the NBA Finals in the 1990s came during Grunfeld's tenure as general manager and the Bucks were among the top teams in the Eastern Conference after Grunfeld's arrival in 1999.
On Friday, in his last move with the Bucks, Grunfeld traded popular point guard Sam Cassell and team captain Ervin Johnson to Minnesota for Joe Smith and Anthony Peeler.
Milwaukee Releases Grunfeld
Wizards Job May Follow; Bucks Owner Won't Sell
By Steve Wyche
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 30, 2003; Page D01
The Milwaukee Bucks yesterday released General Manager Ernie Grunfeld from the final year of his contract, allowing him to begin official negotiations with the Washington Wizards about their vacant president of basketball operations job.
If hired, Grunfeld would assume the job left vacant by Michael Jordan, who yesterday was no longer a candidate to purchase the Milwaukee franchise. The Bucks' owner, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), pulled out of negotiations to sell the team to Jordan, who played for the past two seasons with Washington before being rebuffed by Wizards owner Abe Pollin in an attempt to regain his front-office job as president of basketball operations. Jordan held the top basketball executive post from January 2000 to September 2001, before coming back to play.
The move to hire Grunfeld has been in the works for days.
"I have one year left on my contract and the Bucks graciously have allowed me to resign and seek employment," Grunfeld said in a statement released by the Bucks.
Grunfeld and his agent were expected to begin talks with Pollin right away. League sources recently said a deal could be finalized by early this week -- maybe as soon as today -- and Grunfeld could be with the Wizards by the time the free agent negotiating period gets underway Tuesday.
The team has called a news conference for 2:30 p.m. today at MCI Center. Initially it was to introduce draft picks Jarvis Hayes and Steve Blake, but the media advisory regarding the news conference gave no specifics about the topic of the assembly. The only other candidates for the basketball operations job known to have spoken to the Wizards are attorney and former University of Maryland star Len Elmore and NBA official and Hall of Fame player Bob Lanier.
The Wizards declined to comment about Grunfeld. It is believed that Milwaukee won't seek compensation from Washington.
Though Kohl's decision to opt out of sale talks with Jordan became public hours after he released Grunfeld from his contract, a source close to the situation said Grunfeld is not expected to try to reacquire his job.
"I have decided not to sell the Milwaukee Bucks at this time, and will continue to own them, improve them, and commit them to remaining in Wisconsin," Kohl said in a statement released by the team. "In the course of negotiations, I and my representatives had detailed discussions with Michael Jordan and his representatives. I must say that I enjoyed those conversations and was pleased with Michael's commitment of substantial personal time and personal financial resources to the proposed transaction. I was also impressed with the quality of the professionals that he was prepared to engage had we gone forward, as well as his willingness to make every effort to keep the team in Wisconsin.
"I think Michael will be an excellent owner of an NBA franchise and have encouraged him, for the benefit of the NBA, to continue his consideration of such an investment. On balance, I simply decided that I am not yet prepared to sell the team at this time and have instructed my representatives, accordingly."
No reason was given as to why the talks suddenly broke off. As recently as Friday, league sources said Jordan and Kohl were close to striking a deal and that acknowledgement of a sale could come early this week. It is not known if Jordan will pursue part ownership and a top basketball operations job in Charlotte, where the expansion Bobcats have pursued him for months.
Jordan would have been the majority owner of the Bucks but would be a minority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, who are owned by Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson. Jordan is said to want final say on all decisions and without the opportunity to be his own boss, he might wait until another team comes up for sale.
Jordan's failed bid to buy the Bucks could have a chilling effect on some of the potential employees he wanted to bring to Milwaukee from Washington. Assistant general manager Rod Higgins, director of player personnel Fred Whitfield, and assistant coaches Patrick Ewing, Larry Drew, Brian James and John Bach each had opportunities to follow Jordan if he acquired the Bucks.
Now, with Grunfeld likely coming in and Wizards ownership seemingly poised to cleanse the franchise of most, if not all of the people Jordan hired, several current employees could be looking for work. Higgins, Whitfield and James, along with former head coach Doug Collins, have multiyear contracts that have to be honored monetarily.
Should Washington land Grunfeld, he would be the team's second major management hire in the past two weeks. Coach Eddie Jordan, a longtime assistant with the New Jersey Nets, was hired to replace Collins on June 19. Jordan and Grunfeld would oversee a young team that just had what some NBA officials said was a good draft and has roughly $6.5 million in salary cap space to pursue free agents.
Grunfeld, who played in the NBA for nine seasons, has orchestrated several trades and free agent moves that helped turn the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks into consistent winners. Both of New York's berths in the NBA Finals in the 1990s came during Grunfeld's tenure as general manager and the Bucks were among the top teams in the Eastern Conference after Grunfeld's arrival in 1999.
On Friday, in his last move with the Bucks, Grunfeld traded popular point guard Sam Cassell and team captain Ervin Johnson to Minnesota for Joe Smith and Anthony Peeler.