Report: Seattle group looking to add Phil Jackson, R.C. Buford
By Zach Harper | NBA Blogger
January 21, 2013 11:52 am ET
The Seattle SuperSonics could be back by next season, and with that, the Hansen ownership group is going to need to make a big splash with taking the team in a new direction. As of right now, the Sacramento Kings have been a rudderless ship, toiling in the waters of mediocrity and mismanagement.
How do you fix that? Apparently, you go out and try to hire the best in the business at various positions your new team needs. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo1 Sports reports that the Chris Hansen ownership group will try to hire R.C. Buford or Larry Bird to run the team:
The new Seattle NBA ownership group has begun discussing possible candidates to run its franchise and has deliberated whether to target San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and former Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
To convince Buford to leave San Antonio, where he enjoys close personal and professional relationships with Popovich and owner Peter Holt, the Seattle group might need to offer a small percentage of equity into the franchise and give him autonomy to assemble and run basketball operations. Any potential offer in Seattle would need to be extraordinary to get Buford to leave the Spurs.
Bird, the NBA's 2011 Executive of the Year, stepped away from the Pacers in the spring to take care of some health issues, but had planned to return in 2013 or '14. Bird wants to work again and there's nothing contractual that binds him to the Pacers. Donnie Walsh and Kevin Pritchard are running the Pacers' front office now.
But wait, there's more!
Not only will the Seattle owners try to get a great front-office presence to set the tone for how the organization is operated, but they're going to go after one of, if not the greatest coach in NBA history. Peter Vescey tweeted that Phil Jackson is a target for the organization to be a part of the front office:
"Source says almost living lock Phil Jackson will become front office face of Seattle-bound Kings' franchise. Won't coach. Will mentor choice"
At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if they fired the DeLorean up to 88 mph and signed 1992 Michael Jordan to be the franchise player for the new Seattle SuperSonics (assuming the sale and relocation is approved, of course). The only way this could get better for Seattle is if the team brought in Kevin Calabro to be the play-by-play man and Gary Payton to be the analyst on local broadcasts.
You have to give this group credit: They're trying to make a big splash and get this organization turned to the proper direction.