Tag: Bryan Colangelo

Lindsey emerging as top choice for Toronto GM job

So much for inactivity during the NBA lockout — at least for Spurs assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey.

Toronto Raptors president Bryan Colangelo has interviewed four finalists for the Raptors’ vacant general manager position. 

Well-connected Yahoo.com NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski reports that sources have told him thatOther remaining candidates include former New Orleans Hornets general manager Jeff Bower, Indiana pro personnel director Kevin Pritchard and Philadelphia general manager Ed Stefanski.

Lindsey also is still in the mix for the vacant Portland general manager job.

His association with the Spurs, R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich clearly help his candidacy. But he likely will be careful before taking a job just for the opportunity to be an NBA general manager.

Wojnarowski reports that Colangelo would have to delegate some decision-making responsibilities to get Lindsey to take the job. And that’s sometimes easier said than done for a leader like Colangelo who has been actively involved in nearly every front-office decision since taking the Raptors job.

Portland owner Paul Allen has shown a quick trigger with his most recent general managers. Pritchard and Rich Cho both were relieved of their duties as Portland’s general manager in the last 15 months.

It might turn out that Lindsey has a better job working with one of the NBA’s top front offices in San Antonio than running his own team under less than ideal upper management with either of his potential opportunities.

Mavs assistant Dwane Casey in line for Toronto head job

It’s been a whirlwind the last several days for Dallas Mavericks’ lead assistant Dwane Casey.

Last week, the Mavericks claimed their first title. Casey helped celebrate with all of his team once they got back to Dallas later in the week.

And Casey also had what appears to be a successful job interview with Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo.

Enough that the Dallas Morning News is reporting that Casey  perhaps as soon as later this afternoon.

Casey interviewed with the Raptors twice over the last several days. He apparently has beaten out Boston lead assistant and former New Jersey head coach Lawrence Frank.  

Casey, a former Kentucky standout in college, has most recently served as the top assistant coach under Rick Carlisle for the Mavericks. Earlier, he was the head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves over 1-1/2 seasons — a span during which the Timberwolves were 53-69. The Timberwolves were 20-20 in the 2006-07 when Casey was fired by then-GM Kevin McHale, who said he believed the team was a playoff contender. Randy Wittman took over, and the team finished 12-30 in its remaining 42 games.

Casey will take over the vacant job created when Jay Triano was demoted after more than two seasons as Toronto’s head coach.

Frank apparently has now emerged as the created when John Kuester’s contract wasn’t renewed, the Toronto Star reports.