Atlanta Hawks: Danny Ferry hired as GM
Update: The Hawks today hired Danny Ferry to be the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager.
The Hawks signed Ferry to a six-year contract.
“My family and I are thrilled to join the Hawks organization and Atlanta community,” Ferry said in a statement. “There were many components that made this the right fit for me but clearly my confidence in the ownership group and their dedication to building a championship-caliber franchise was most important. They are committed to building with the right people and investing in critical areas for development; both essential elements if we want to create sustained success. “
Ferry succeeds Rick Sund, Atlanta’s GM since 2008. Ferry said he would work alongside Sund over the next month, after which Sund could remain with the organization in a some role. Sund has expressed an interest in remaining with the Hawks as a consultant.
Ferry said he would collaborate with Sund and the rest of the basketball staff in preparation for Thursday’s draft. Ferry said he hoped to reach a consensus on which players the Hawks would select but that the decision ultimately would be his.
Ferry, who played in 917 NBA games from 1990-91 to 2003-03, was most recently vice president of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs. He was general manager for the Cavaliers from 2005 to 2010, where he was charged with building a roster around LeBron James.
Ferry had been in discussions with the 76ers about becoming their general manager with Rod Thorn stepping down soon.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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523 comments Add your comment
Grandad
June 24th, 2012
7:45 pm
Jeff Schultz has an article up !
Sautee
June 24th, 2012
7:46 pm
How nice for me to come home from the funeral of my best friend’s mother (whom I knew from the age of 16) and find that our troll has posted as me with a reference to Jerry Sandusky. And even worse, he (T-s) is spouting racist nonsense in my name.
Lotta class there, T-s. Just what I needed at this time.
tony
June 24th, 2012
7:47 pm
I think Ferry will do well in Atlanta.
Rick James
June 24th, 2012
8:08 pm
~yawn~ Wake me when the Hawks have new ownership..
Artman
June 24th, 2012
8:08 pm
I am happy that Sund is gone, he is the epitamy of mediocre. Of course the biggest problem remain, i.e. the ASG. Does anyone here think that Danny Ferry will really have any autonomy? Does anyone think that we can follow the San Antonio model with the ASG as owners? Since they re-upped Larry Drew prior to hiring a GM, I suspect Danny might be another glorified water boy for Gearon and associates.
HAWKLESS
June 24th, 2012
8:16 pm
If the Hawks are serious about Danny Ferry then they were stupid to extend the contract of LD. They should allow the GM to hire his own coach instead of being stuck with a marginal coach for another year.
HAWKLESS
June 24th, 2012
8:18 pm
Are there any potential buyers for the Hawks?
Luke Cage
June 24th, 2012
8:23 pm
SWEET CHRISTMAS!!!
No problem with the hire, I see most as predicted are against it….I’ll wait a few years before rendering judgement….Truly believe that no matter the Hawks hired this blog would be in typical complaining mode….and thats a guy thats not a current GM, Thunder GM etc have no reason to leave.
Grandad
June 24th, 2012
8:26 pm
‘`No deal was complete on Sunday afternoon,
but there was progress toward an eventual agreement,
sources said`’ … -Michael Katz- / SB Nation
Al Bundy
June 24th, 2012
8:28 pm
You idiots in Atlanta would complain if they hired Jerry West as GM and Phil Jackson as coach. There’s a reason no free agent worth a s$&@ will come to Atlanta and it’s not the owners. It’ idiot fans and a bush league newspaper. Not to mention idiots like John Kincade on the radio.
It was not a bad pick
June 24th, 2012
8:31 pm
WTF would you hire a poor GM like Ferry?…He won the lottery and was given LBJ, but did a horrible job with the supporting cast around Lebron…I hope this is just a rumor….
High-sider
June 24th, 2012
8:35 pm
@Buddy Grizzard
“LMAO that you bring up John Kuester, who was hired by a black GM, Joe Dumars.
“…overrates the accomplishments of white executives such as Sam Presti, R.C. Buford, etc.”
Yeah 4 championships for SA… totally overrated organization. Seriously High-Sider, you are the dumbest person I have ever had a conversation with. Seriously. You’re dumb as a box of rocks.” – Buddy Grizzard
No matter how hard you try to “pump up” or “hype up” the supposedly great decision-making skills of your favorite (white) executives, the bottom line is that the NBA is a player-driven or players’ league. Executives and head coaches don’t win NBA championships; players do. The most common denominator in your “4 championships for SA” example is that all four Spurs championship teams included the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft and future HOFer, Tim Duncan. The NCAA Tournament champion is not necessarily the best team in college basketball but is most often the “hottest” team in college basketball. The NBA playoff series system/format/set-up is one of the best competitive selection processes, if not the best competitive selection process, in selecting a basketball championship team. Except for the NBA players themselves, positions such as head coaches, general managers, asst. general managers, directors of player personnel, asst. directors of player personnel, athletic trainers, team television announcers and analysts, team beat writers, team statisticians, journalists, team mascots, cheerleaders, etc. are positions I would consider ancillary or slightly above ancillary. Keep in the mind, the players are “at the center of the center.” The NBA and other professional sports should be about the players first and foremost. They (the NBA players) are “the engine that makes the car (NBA) go.” The NBA players are putting in the most work (labor) and, I would argue, are releasing the most body fluids (e.g., blood, sweat and tears). And what color are most of these NBA players especially the superstars? That’s right; they’re black. But what I see from you, Buddy Grizzard, and your “minions” is a constant fascination, fixation, preoccupation and obsession with white executives and their supposed, often inflated and embellished, decision-making prowess. I’m “calling you to the carpet” and you don’t like it. Do I constantly and excessively discuss Jamal Crawford? Yes, I do but at least I am being honest. How the hell can you (Buddy Grizzard) and Grandad tell me to take race out of the equation when race permeates every fabric of American life – damn that. You know I am telling the truth and, on the cool, I probably help keep this blog interesting. Am I provocative – yes! Am I inflammatory – yes! But that’s me. I respect your opinion when warranted and I ask that you respect my opinion when warranted. I have no ill feelings toward(s) you (Buddy Grizzard) or Grandad. Actually, I’m somewhat amused.
P.S. NBA players should almost always get more credit for winning (and, perhaps, losing) than (NBA) head coaches and executives.
will
June 24th, 2012
8:39 pm
If the hawks can workout, a contract agreement with D. Ferry, I believe that would be a very good hire for GM, for the hawks.
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
8:44 pm
Blodus
June 24th, 2012
4:51 pm
Is Gearon ashamed of his work with the franchise that he never wants to talk about it?
_______________________
He should be (ashamed), which means he probably isn’t.
High-sider
June 24th, 2012
8:54 pm
@The Monger
“…So lets see the last 4 years all his teams have been #1 seeds…
08-09 Cleveland #1 seed
09-10 Cleveland #1 seed
10-11 San Antonio #1 seed
11-12 San Antonio #1 seed
All I’m saying is this guy is around championship organizations, and he knows what it takes to build lasting, dynamic teams. A guy doesn’t spend time with teams that go to the NBA Finals and earn #1 seeds and not know what he is doing…Championship basketball coming to Atlanta with Danny Ferry!!!” – The Monger @7:10pm dated 6/24/2012
Yeah, all No. 1 (playoff) seeds and no championship – not even an NBA Finals appearance. Can you say “underachievement”? I can.
08-09 Cleveland #1 seed – defeated in the ECF
09-10 Cleveland #1 seed – defeated in the EC Semis
10-11 San Antonio #1 seed – defeated in the first round
11-12 San Antonio #1 seed – defeated in the WCF
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
8:57 pm
JSS
June 24th, 2012
5:51 pm
Shamrock, that is as sad of a post as some of crass garbage UGABugkiller, TS, and that moron TrueFalconFan drops on other blogs… You can disagree without being tacky!
_____________________
No he can’t. He made his miserable presence felt in similar fashion here during the Hawks-Celtics series a few weeks back. Was hoping we’d seen the last of him with Boston’s collapse against Miami. No such luck.
Sautee
June 24th, 2012
8:58 pm
Ferry never won the lottery. He was hired in 05, LBJ was drafted in 03.
The Cavs real problem was poor drafts before LeBron, and, as Najeh said, they got too good too fast, so they had lower picks to build with. But look at the talent he drafted with lower draft slots:
JJ Hickson at #19
Shannon Brown at #25
Daniel Gibson at #42
Danny Green at #46
That’s reasonable talent for those slots. I can’t imagine Sund doing as well.
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
9:02 pm
Ray
June 24th, 2012
7:23 pm
Well I take it people stole other people’s name handles. They really should do something about that.
_____________________
Yeah, they SHOULD, but don’t count on it. They also SHOULD fix their idiotic filters, which block perfectly legitimate posts while allowing crap like steven a smith’s 7:00 p.m. post to slip through.
Better not count on that either.
CrazyDiamond
June 24th, 2012
9:03 pm
Bring back Billy Knight!
karl
June 24th, 2012
9:03 pm
what do y’all think about dominique wilkins as gm?
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:04 pm
Danny Ferry is a good hire, if it happens. If not, well here we go again, because you can bet it’s due to Gearon and his control-of-all-team-operations fetish.
Taking that a step further, this only works if Gearon agrees to get the F out of the way.
“Buddy Grizzard, if this is (indeed) true (that the Hawks have offered the GM job to Danny Ferry), then the “bust” for the 2012-2013 regular season has already occurred (before it [the regular season] has started).”
Didn’t the Cavs make the Finals? Was that once or twice? Winning them is the ultimate success. But getting there is anything but a bust or a failure. And last I looked, the Hawks couldn’t come close to getting through the 2nd round of the playoffs.
BTW, Pat Riley nearly became the 2nd GM type to get that label (also unjustly). The Heat failed against the Mavs a year ago, and without some unlikely contributions from some role players (plus the inexperience of the OKC Thunder), it would have happened two straight years….
Perspective, folks. Perspective.
Sautee
June 24th, 2012
9:06 pm
“Yeah, all No. 1 (playoff) seeds and no championship – not even an NBA Finals appearance. Can you say “underachievement”? I can.”
If a GM puts the pieces in place for a team to earn the #1 seed, I’d say he’s done his job. Just because players underachieve, does not mean that management did. Unless we’re talking about a player / GM, and I don’t think there’s ever been one of those.
It was not a bad pick
June 24th, 2012
9:07 pm
Ferry worst move was not moving hickson for amare, Lebron only needed one solid option…..this would be the worst hire ever…
It was not a bad pick
June 24th, 2012
9:09 pm
Sautee
cle only had the 1st seed due to lebron, the best player since Jordan..Once he left Cle won less than 20 games right?….
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:09 pm
Sautee calls it right in terms of the Danny Ferry and the drafts he’s had. Especially when comparing to Rick Sund. But, some people won’t see that…which is to be expected.
Buddy Grizzard ,
Give it up, dude. Calling a stupid person a stupid person does nothing to raise yours or their intelligence level. You’ll only end up frustrated. Trust me, been there enough times, myself…
Look at it as entertainment. Cheap entertainment, but entertainment all the same.
Astro Joe
June 24th, 2012
9:11 pm
Buddy I think I said as much in my initial post on this topic. I also specificaly suggested that they may not have held the same workouts as the Hawks. These candidates can only visit so many teams. The Spurs likely interviewed a few guys during the combine and certainly have hours of film on the various players, but I doubt that their workout schedule is comparable to the Hawks (in terms of 1st round candidates).
Don’t be surprised if Ferry’s contract is effective July 1st. There is precedent in the league for a new GM taking over in time for free agency but allowing the previous GM to run the draft. Not to mention that the ASG probably has no desire for there to be any overlap between GMs (or said differently, no desire to pay two GMs even for a week or so).
Michael Cunningham
June 24th, 2012
9:12 pm
blog updates with Hawks confirming discussions with Ferry.
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:14 pm
Ferry worst move was not moving hickson for amare, Lebron only needed one solid option…..this would be the worst hire ever…
Yeah? In that case, Miami could have done fine with just Bosh and Lebron, right? Or just Lebron and Wade? I mean, he only needed one solid option. News flash – Miami almost bought it against Boston as Lebron’s “one solid option” (Wade) never really showed up. Once Bosh was back in, the tide began to turn. Also, if you think the Heat beat the Thunder without Bosh, you’re crazy.
BTW, did you watch the Knicks any this past season? Amare isn’t the player he used to be, and doesn’t fit with everybody. Dude flamed out for the Knicks and never played to even his reduced potential when put on the floor with Carmelo Anthony.
Danny Ferry hiring would be positive move for Hawks | Jeff Schultz
June 24th, 2012
9:14 pm
[...] The team released a statement confirming they have “reached out” to Ferry: “As we continue to evaluate our franchise and look to build a championship caliber organization, we reached out to Danny Ferry. We are engaged in conversation regarding the Atlanta Hawks and our basketball operations. As the situation evolves, we will update at the appropriate time.” [...]
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:15 pm
Don’t be surprised if Ferry’s contract is effective July 1st. There is precedent in the league for a new GM taking over in time for free agency but allowing the previous GM to run the draft.Not to mention that the ASG probably has no desire for there to be any overlap between GMs (or said differently, no desire to pay two GMs even for a week or so).
Makes a lot of sense. And the initial “non-confirmation/decline to comment” is basically perfect proof that serious talks are going on. It’s the ASG’s M.O. for sure. Either that or outright denial…
ryan
June 24th, 2012
9:15 pm
Even if Danny Ferry is hired the Hawks still in limbo with ownership and Joe Johnson’s contract i don’t see much change until we have new owners .
Section 303
June 24th, 2012
9:15 pm
I like this potential move. Hope it happens. Ferry can do a good job here. Don’t understand the instant negative reaction by some.
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
9:16 pm
High-sider
June 24th, 2012
8:35 pm
You know I am telling the truth and, on the cool, I probably help keep this blog interesting. Am I provocative – yes! Am I inflammatory – yes! But that’s me.
______________________
And are you self-absorbed? It certainly appears that way. But that’s you.
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:18 pm
Word is that Ferry prefers a job where he has more autonomy. They say he has less of a chance with that if he goes to the Sixers, as he would possibly have to give way to Doug Collins, who is apparently looking to have such autonomy himself.
Umm…..considering the way things have been run here since the ASG bought the team, I’m not sure Ferry’s autonomous desires are any more likely to come to fruition in the ATL.
But more than that, you have to wonder about the money aspect. The ASG isn’t known for paying average dollar for the GM or HC spots….and there’s where we may be disappointed yet again.
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:21 pm
You know I am telling the truth and, on the cool, I probably help keep this blog interesting. Am I provocative – yes! Am I inflammatory – yes! But that’s me.
LOL….please do accept my apology if I am in error…but dang if that don’t sound like you’re a woman. If not, well, then just a drama queen (which, btw, I have learned is very much a unisex thing).
Sautee
June 24th, 2012
9:22 pm
“Executives and head coaches don’t win NBA championships; players do. ”
Obviously you are ignorant of the history of the league. In 1956, Red Auerbach traded Ed MCCauley and Cliff Hagan for the rights to draft Bill Russell. Eleven Championships in 13 years later, it was the best trade in the history of American sports (Babe Ruth never won 11 World Series). Without that move, would Boston have had their dynasty?
THAT was an executive making a championship winning move.
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:23 pm
DawgNole is killin’ me. Dude is like a pitbull on some of these posts….
Astro Joe
June 24th, 2012
9:23 pm
BTW, I wouldn’t get too excited about Ferry’s possible authority. What has been written suggests that he would have more “power” with the Hawks than with the 76ers. That does NOT mean that he will have more power than Sund. If Doug Collins would ultimately have the last say in basketball operations in Philly, then that means the GM is operating in 3rd place. Collins decides the basketball move and you best believe that the owner decides the financial moves. Collins is NOT using amnesty on Elton Brand (as an example) without approval from the owner who must write a big check. With the Hawks, Ferry knows that he doesn’t have to answer to LD (stop laughing). But that does NOT mean that Gearon still won’t be making strategy decisions as both the owner and Head of Basketball Operations. Ferry may be in a distant 2nd place in terms of power… better than what he would have in Philly but still not optimal. My hope (to reiterate a pointI made when the rumors first broke) is that as an experienced GM, he knows the type of authority he needs to be successful and that he will negotiate and document that authority clearly in his contract (not that the ASG have always been good about signing clearly worded contracts).
Obviously, I don’t know. But I do know that no one should reach the conclusion that because Ferry may have a little more power here than in Philly, that the ASG has decided to relinquish some important authority to the new GM (e.g., hiring/firing the head coach).
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:24 pm
Sautee is ON POINT!
I’m out….
Big Ray
June 24th, 2012
9:25 pm
Astro Joe ,
I see you and I are very much on the same page. Nicely written…better than what I put down…
Astro Joe
June 24th, 2012
9:28 pm
Big Ray in the house. Gee, I thought it was in the 9:00 hour. But if Big Ray is blogging, it must really be around 3:00 am. That’s what I get for buying a “Fire LD Clock” from Clyde. Dang thing don’t work.
Grandad
June 24th, 2012
9:28 pm
I did a little background work:
The next year, the Danny Ferry and the rest of the front office basically decided that they had to prepare this team to take down the Magic. They acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Suns and he played pretty well, to be honest. He battled some injuries, but was overall still a solid player (18 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minute). The Cavs also managed to trade for Antawn Jamison for essentially nothing. They sent a first round pick and Ilgauskas’ expiring contract to Washington and later re-signed Big Z once he got bought out. Jamison was intended to stretch the floor against Orlando and open up the paint for LeBron. Shaq was meant to be a big body that could at least slow down Dwight Howard. The Cavaliers never refused to give up JJ Hickson for Amare Stoudemire. That just didn’t happen. The Suns wanted more for Amare, but I digress. The series of moves looked good at the time and nearly every expert on ESPN or wherever else picked the Cavaliers to win the 2010 title. Unfortunately, they ran into a buzz saw against the Boston Celtics with a rejuvenated Kevin Garnett and never even got another shot at the Magic. Ultimately, the biggest flaw in Ferry’s tenure was his overlooking of the Celtics. He incorrectly assumed that the Magic were the only real resistance for the Cavs to get to the Finals in 2010 and they got burned for it.
-Cleveland Plain Dealer-
Najeh Davenpoop
June 24th, 2012
9:31 pm
I am not super excited about Danny Ferry, but the state of this franchise is such that he is probably the best GM this team has seen in at least 15 years.
Lebron James, Hawks fan
June 24th, 2012
9:31 pm
IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME! GO HAWKS!
Lebron James, Hawks fan
June 24th, 2012
9:34 pm
“hickson for amare”
Amare is one of the most overrated players in the league. What have the Knicks done with him leading them? Case closed. Phoenix wanted to much for him. Ferry knew what he was doing not mortgaging the farm for that chump.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 24th, 2012
9:41 pm
http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/arkanthill/nba/shaq_danny_ferry.jpg
BIG DOG
June 24th, 2012
9:41 pm
If the Hawks bring in Danny i believe Josh will be traded on draft day or by trade deadline, Danny is a good solid GM that would allow the Hawks to be more flexible in personal, one thing i no for sure he believe in players development and if he draft a player he expect for the head coach to develop him point blank period.
So in other word LD will be fired before season starte or not offered a new contract.
LD player development have been the worst by far.
1. Never playing Teague until Hinrich was injured in the playoffs, JUST DAM
2. Ivan your best PF on the bench not even scratching the surface come playoffs.
3. Trading JC2 and draft pick for Hinrich who maybe the second coming of Keith Brooking as being the most overrated player in the history of Atlanta sports.
4. Continue to starte Marvin by far rank at the bottom of the league in SF.
5. LD just have no clue as a coach, IN PLAYERS DEVELOPMENT
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
High-sider
June 24th, 2012
9:41 pm
“…And that was a good thing I remember when it was announced Jamal would come here and I remember a lot of Golden St. fans breathing sighs of relief and also mocking us telling us that we’d be sorry, and they were correct…” – Ray @6:43pm dated 6/24/2012
And so they (GSW fans) were correct, huh? In Jamal Crawford’s first year with the Hawks, he (Crawford) averaged 18.0ppg off the bench (second behind Hawks scoring leader, Joe Johnson), won the Sixth Man of the Year Award for the 2009-2010 regular season, scored 20+ points off the bench in (approximately) 32 regular season games, converted nine (9) four point plays which is a regular season record, and helped the Hawks finish the regular season with the 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and a win-loss record of 53-29; the Hawks had not won 50+ games (in an 82-game season) since, I believe, the 1997-1998 regular season. And so you’re telling me that (the) Hawks fans should be sorry for that (Jamal Crawford performance)? Yeah, right (dripping with sarcasm).
Najeh Davenpoop
June 24th, 2012
9:42 pm
“So after Najeh detailed all the horrible moves the Cavs made before and after the drafting of LeBron James that destroyed any chance of building a talented roster around him, I wanted to know if Danny Ferry was responsible for any of those moves. Then Sautee posted that Ferry actually had an excellent draft record with CLE, finding late first round gems.”
To be clear I didn’t attribute those moves to Ferry. I don’t think Ferry is a particularly inspiring hire, but he is the best GM this team has had in 17 years and is definitely an upgrade over Sund.
Hawks Confirm Talks With Danny Ferry « Hoop Focus
June 24th, 2012
9:42 pm
[...] The Atlanta Hawks have confirmed the reports, releasing a statement that says they have “reached out” to Ferry and are engaged in conversations in regards to the team’s basketball operations, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [...]