Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is leaning towards hiring interim general manager James Jones as the franchise’s full-time GM, according to ESPN.

James Jones Could Become Suns’ Full-Time GM

Sarver fired GM Ryan McDonough on Sunday night and told Jones and assistant GM Trevor Bookstein to split the oversight of basketball operations on an interim basis on Monday. Jones was previously the vice president of basketball operations.

Sarver has left little doubt that Jones will be leading Phoenix’s basketball operations in the future, according to ESPN. However, Sarver has a history of changing his mind, without warning, on personnel matters. Firing McDonough nine days before the Suns’ opening night is just the latest example.

Last year, Jones retired from the NBA and was hired to apprentice under McDonough and prepare for a larger role in the organization.

Sarver has never favored experienced or successful executives to lead his team but it’s not like he can recruit one with his poor leadership reputation.

McDonough had two years left on his contract.

Jones had already started working on assembling his own scouting staff, according to ESPN.

Sarver hired Jones to a front office that struggled to communicate with players. He was fresh off a 14-year NBA career that included three championships and a longtime partnership with Lebron James.

Sarver has a reputation as an owner who prys into basketball decisions and coaches and front-office staff have found it difficult to perform their job after the Suns became Sarver’s primary business interest two years ago.

Elton Brand named Philadelphia 76ers general manager Tuesday as the search ends with an in-house hire.

Philadelphia 76ers Hire Elton Brand As General Manager

Brand, 39, continues his meteoric rise from the hardwood to the boardroom as the Sixers’ new general manager. The two-time All-Star replaces Bryan Colangelo, who resigned in June as a result of a Twitter scandal.

Brand will be elevated from his current role as the 76ers V.P. of basketball operations and replace head coach Brett Brown, who served as the interim GM after Colangelo’s resignation.

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The Sixers also elevated Alex Rucker to executive V.P. of basketball operations. Rucker is now second in command followed by assistant GM Ned Cohen and senior V.P. of player personnel Marc Eversley, who will both remain in their current positions.

The ownership group also conducted interviews with Houston Rockets vice president Gersson Rosas, Utah Jazz assistant GM Justin Zanik, and assistant Golden State Warriors GM Larry Harris.

Brand first landed a role in 2016 as a player development consultant for the 76ers. In 2017, the 76ers promoted him to GM for their affiliate G league team, the Delaware Blue Coats.

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A few of the Sixers starters hit social media to approve of the new hire:

“Elton has been not only a friend but also someone who I’ve looked up to for a long time,” Sixers reserve guard Jerryd Bayless said. “He’s been preparing for this moment, and I’m happy for him it has come sooner rather than later.”

“Since we were teammates, I have always been so impressed with EB’s work ethic and professionalism,” reserve point guard T. J. McConnell said. “I’m really happy for him, and I know he’ll carry those same traits into his new job.”

After playing college basketball for Duke, Brand was selected with the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and later appeared in 263 games with the Sixers,

Last season, the Sixers went 52-30 and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 76ers play their first preseason game against the Magic on Monday, Oct. 1.

On just the second day of 2018, the Green Bay Packers have made a major announcement.

Green bay Packers GM search news

The Packers revealed Tuesday that Ted Thompson is transitioning from general manager to senior advisor to football operations as the team continues its search for a new GM.

Thompson has held his current position since 2005. He selected Aaron Rodgers out of California with Green Bay’s first draft pick that season. A year later, Thompson hired current head coach Mike McCarthy, who led the Packers to a Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2010 season.

The Packers (7-9) had a rough season this year, finishing third in the NFC North after losing their final three games, the last of which was a 35-11 road defeat to the Detroit Lions.

Green Bay — which has been eliminated from playoff contention this year — lost Rodgers to a broken collarbone early in the season and also displayed a lackluster defense. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who joined the team in 2009, was fired on Monday. Also dismissed were defensive line coach Mike Trgovac and inside linebackers coach Scott McCurley. The team’s record to end this season is its worst since Rodgers’ first year as a starter in 2008.

Thompson boasts a great track record as GM, though many Packers fans weren’t fond of his knack for rejecting free agency and relying on homegrown talent instead. Thompson also selected players like Clay Matthews, David Bahktiari and Mike Daniels. He has also picked several strong receivers like Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams, all first-rounders.

The Thompson era included nine Super Bowl appearances for Green Bay and one national title.

According to some reports, Packers staff members Eliot Wolf, Brian Gutekunst and Alonzo Highsmith could be candidates for the GM role.

Six NFL teams have head coaching vacancies as of this week. The Lions, the Chicago Bears, the Oakland Raiders, the New York Giants, the Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals. The first five teams’ coaches — Jim Caldwell, John Fox, Jack Del Rio, Ben McAdoo and Chuck Pagano, respectively — were all fired, while Cardinals coach Bruce Arians retired after a five-year run and a 49-30-1 overall record.

The Giants, who also fired GM Jerry Reese after a 2-10 start, hired former Carolina Panthers GM Dave Gettleman last week. Gettleman, 66, previously served as a personnel executive for the Giants from 1998 to 2012.

The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday evening that they have hired Brandon Beane as general manager, and the team has apologized to the Carolina Panthers for taking him from them, adding the move was done “out of respect.”

Bills Tweet Apology to Panthers for ‘Stealing’ GM Brandon Beale

Beane had spent the past 19 seasons with the Panthers, for whom he had worked as assistant GM since June 2015. Before that, he served as Carolina’s director of football operations for eight years.

In Carolina, Beane worked under Dave Gettleman, one of the NFL’s top GMs. The Bills seemed to feel badly and apologized because Beane is the second Panthers executive to sign with the team since the beginning of 2017. Buffalo hired Carolina’s defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, a close associate of Beane, as head coach in January.

According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Beane’s new contract with the Bills is a five-year deal that runs concurrent with McDermott’s pact.

Despite the Bills’ apology to Carolina, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he was thrilled for Beane, whom Rivera said he got to know very well after Beane rose through the ranks from summer training camp PR intern in 1998, and then a football operations intern the following regular season.

“I am very excited for Brandon Beane,” Rivera said in a statement. “Brandon is a guy who started at the bottom and worked his way up. He started as an intern here, starting in the football operations department and eventually became the head of the football operations department. He started evaluating talent and learned that part of the business as well. He became our assistant general manager and has been a tremendous help to me over the last few years as we made our runs in the playoffs – three straight NFC South division champions. Brandon played a big part in that.”

Bills owner and CEO Terry Pegula also released a statement praising Beane for his vast experience in many different types of positions.

“During our search for a new general manager, Brandon stood out to Kim [Pegula] and I as he embodies the type of leader and type of person we want in our organization,” Pegula said in a statement issued by the team. “Brandon has excelled in a variety of roles for a Panthers team that has consistently competed at a high-level in this league. We feel his vast understanding and experience in many facets of football operations will be invaluable to our club moving forward.”

Beane’s predecessor Doug Whaley was fired along with his scouts on April 30, hours after the NFL Draft, after four seasons with the Bills.

Gettleman also released a statement on the Bills’ hiring of Beane. The Panthers general manager, who joined Carolina in 2013, lauded Beane for his accomplishments with the team, which included a stint as interim GM after Matt Hurley was fired and before Gettleman was hired.

“I’m thrilled that Brandon has been selected as general manager of the Bills,” Gettleman said, via Bill Voth of Panthers.com. “He has worked his way from the bottom up and is prepared for this. He is thoughtful, meticulous, and a leader. He was instrumental in what we have been able to accomplish in Carolina in the past few years, winning three division titles, an NFC Championship and earning a Super Bowl appearance. His wide variety of knowledge and experience will serve him well in Buffalo. I wish Brandon, Hayley, Tyson and Wes nothing but the best.”

ORCHARD PARK, NY – DECEMBER 24: Charles Clay #85 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates a touchdown catch against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at New Era Stadium on December 24, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Michael Adamucci/Getty Images)

Jerry Krause, a longtime Chicago Bulls general manager, died Tuesday afternoon at the age of 77, the team confirmed.

Ex-Bulls GM Jerry Krause Dies At 77; Tributes

Krause, who was the Bulls’ GM from 1985 to 2003, helped lead the franchise to six titles in eight years during the Michael Jordan era. He won the NBA’s Executive of the Year Award following the 1987-88 and 1995-96 seasons.

Throughout his tenure in Chicago, Krause— a Windy City native— brought in several Bulls legends along with Jordan: Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman and Phil Jackson. 

“The news of Jerry Krause’s death is a sad day for the Chicago Bulls and the entire NBA community,” Jackson, who is now president of the New York Knicks, said in a statement. “He was a man determined to create a winning team in Chicago — his hometown. Jerry was known as ‘The Sleuth’ for his secrecy, but it was no secret that he built the dynasty in Chicago. We, who were part of his vision in that run, remember him today.”

Prior to joining the Bulls organization, Krause was a scout for several MLB and NBA teams. He left the Bulls in 2003, citing health reasons, and returned to baseball, where he worked with multiple organizations, including the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks up until his retirement last year.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel also praised Krause.

“Jerry Krause was a homegrown legend who built a dynasty recognized around the world,” Emanuel said. “He will forever be remembered as the architect of one of the most dynamic eras in Chicago sports history, who made the Bulls synonymous with Chicago and brought basketball to the world stage. Amy and my thoughts and prayers are with the Krause family and all the fans across the city and around the world who are mourning his loss.”

The Chicago Tribune reported that Krause had battled severe health problems, including osteomyelitis, which is a bone infection. He also suffered from heart issues that required several surgeries, as well as sleep apnea.

“Jerry was one of the hardest working guys I have ever been around, and he was one of the best talent evaluators ever,” Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who originally hired Krause, stated. “Jerry played an integral role in our run of six championships in eight years. He truly was the architect of all our great teams in the ’90s. I would not have been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame if it were not for Jerry. We will miss him tremendously, and we send our thoughts and prayers to his wife Thelma and the Krause family.”

Krause was a finalist to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year as a contributor.

“I owe a lot to Jerry,” said Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson, who played under Krause from 1985-1994. “If it weren’t for him bringing me to Chicago in 1985, I probably never would have been a Bull. He had a great eye for talent, and his ability to build a team is unrivaled. He’s one of the best the league has ever seen. We’re keeping Thelma and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Several former Bulls players, including Jordan and Pippen, paid tribute to Krause upon learning of his death.

“Jerry was key figure in the Bulls’ dynasty and meant so much to the Bulls, White Sox and city of Chicago,” Jordan said in a statement. “My heart goes out to his wife, Thelma, his family and friends.”

Jordan famously feuded with Krause over certain issues, and explained this skirmish by saying, “I’m the only one who has told him no. … This kid has had his butt kissed by everyone in the world except his parents and me,” Krause told SI. “If we’d listened to him, we’d have (former UNC guard) Buzz Peterson on the team!

“My goal is not to be his friend. My goal is to win titles.”

In an interview with Sports Illustrated in 1993, Jordan stated: “The trade of (Charles) Oakley was good, and the best thing he did was to get (Scottie) Pippen and (Horace) Grant. His claim to fame is that he drafted Earl Monroe for the Bullets. And I say to him ‘What pick was that?’ He says ‘Two.’ And I say ‘Hell! Earl Monroe was a real secret, huh! If you hadn’t taken him, he’d have gone third!’”

Pippen, meanwhile, paid homage to Krause in five tweets on Tuesday night in which he expressed, among other things, that he was “forever grateful.”

Clearly, Krause was beloved by many Bulls members and Chicagoans. Krause was honored with a moment of silence before the Bulls’ road loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

10 Jun 1997: General manager Jerry Krause of the Chicago Bulls speaks to reporters during a press conference before a playoff game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Washington Redskins terminated general manager Scot McCloughan on Thursday, slightly more than two years after hiring him to resuscitate their organization.

Scot McCloughan Fired as Redskins GM after two years

The move follows weeks of speculation regarding his future with the Redskins and reports of issues between him and the team.

McCloughan, 46, was prevented from speaking to the media at the Senior Bowl and missed last week’s NFL Scouting Combine, citing a death in the family as his reason earlier in February.

Redskins president Bruce Allen released the following statement on McCloughan’s firing:

“The Washington Redskins have released Scot McCloughan from the organization effective immediately. We wish him success in his future endeavors. The team will have no further comment on his departure. The organization remains confident in our personnel department as we execute our free agency plans as well as prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft.”

According to the Washington Post, an official with direct knowledge of the situation said McCoughan’s ongoing issues with alcohol may have been the primary reason for the team’s decision. McCloughan’s alcoholic tendencies also caused him to be fired from front-office with the San Francisco 49ers in 2010 and Seattle Seahawks in 2014.

“He’s had multiple relapses due to alcohol,” said the official, who spoke on a condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on personnel matters. “He showed up in the locker room drunk on multiple occasions. . . . This has been a disaster for 18 months.”

The official added McCloughan has received alcohol treatment since he first joined the Redskins in January 2015, although he hasn’t actively worked for the franchise in weeks. Even before he abruptly left the team’s home stadium late last month, the GM had already been placed in “timeout” due to his inappropriate behavior, according to the official.

Neither McCloughan nor his agent, Peter Schaffer, have commented on the Redskins’ decision. McCloughan’s wife Jessica tweeted late Thursday night: “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence & making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”

McCloughan has not denied his past problems with alcohol, and even went as far as to admit publicly that he is capable of drinking and performing his job adequately.

The timing of this issue seems terrible for the Redskins, as it came on the first day of NFL free agency, when teams around the league can begin signing veteran players to improve their rosters.

McCloughan’s departure leaves Daniel Snyder searching for what will be the fifth general manager of his 18-year tenure as Redskins owner.

The Redskins went 8-7-1 and finished third in the NFC East in 2016. They have finished a combined 17-14-1 the past two years, with one NFC East title. Before McCloughan’s hiring, Washington had won seven games combined in two seasons.

The team franchise-tagged quarterback Kirk Cousins earlier this offseason after they were unable to work out a long-term deal with him.

The Redskins also signed former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor to a one-year, $8 million deal on Friday. Pryor recorded 1,007 yards on 77 catches and four touchdowns with Cleveland last season.

LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 20: General Manager Scot McCloughan of the Washington Redskins talks on the phone prior to the start of a game against the St. Louis Rams at FedExField on September 20, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)

Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan was notably absent from the first day of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Redskins GM Scot McCloughan Misses Day One Of NFL Combine

A Redskins spokesman confirmed late Wednesday that McCloughan did not attend the Combine due to “family matters.”

McCloughan, 46, told the Washington Post he is dealing with a death in his family. In a separate statement given to Washington, D.C. radio station 106.7 The Fan, McCloughan stated he’s away “setting up the funeral for his grandmother,” Marie, who died on Feb. 6. The funeral service was held seven days later, according to an obituary in the Loveland (Colo.) Reporter-Herald.

“I’m taking care of my family, plain and simple,” the GM said.

Former Redskins tight end Chris Cooley previously suggested that McCloughan has been drinking again following previous alcohol issues. The team declined to comment.

McCloughan also dispelled rumors that he has been “marginalized” in the team’s front office recently. The GM, hired in 2015, is also facing pressure for poor returns on his first two draft classes.

On Thursday, team president Bruce Allen said, via Mike Jones of the Washington Post, that he wasn’t “getting into speculations” when asked about the report and will be back at work “just as soon as things are handled” regarding his family.

The Redskins organization has been criticized for its handling of contract negotiations with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was franchise-tagged Tuesday as both sides continue to work out a long-term deal.

Washington has 10 picks in the 2017 draft, including No. 17 overall.

The Combine will end on Monday, March 6.

LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 20: General Manager Scot McCloughan of the Washington Redskins talks on the phone prior to the start of a game against the St. Louis Rams at FedExField on September 20, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)