The Suns have a couple nice young players — Devin Booker is legit (don’t believe the haters), Deandre Ayton has potential, Kelly Oubre Jr. appears a good fit, guys like T.J. Warren and Josh Jackson might have roles — but the team needs a direction and a better-rounded roster. After firing GM Ryan McDonough at an odd time, then replacing him with an odder combo of people, Suns owner Robert Sarver is looking for the guy to give his team that direction.
Jeff Bower may be that guy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver has become focused on the candidacy of former Detroit and New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower to assume a high-ranking front-office role with the Suns, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Sarver has begun to inform other serious candidates that he’s retreating from them and moving toward a hiring that could be complete early next week, league sources told ESPN.
The idea is to have Bower guide James Jones, the current GM, who would keep his position and have trade power. Officially Bower would be a consultant, although he would have leverage.
This could be a good hire.
Bower has been around NBA front offices for decades and is well respected. Most recently he was the GM and day-to-day guy in Detroit under Stan Van Gundy (but Van Gundy had the hammer on deals and team direction). Before that, he was the Hornets GM where he made some wise draft picks — Chris Paul, David West, Baron Davis — but was squeezed by the odd ownership transfer there.
The biggest challenge for Bower if he gets the job? Keeping Sarver out of basketball operations. Saver has a reputation as a meddling owner who steps in over the basketball people to make calls on players and personnel. This is the owner who unleashed a bunch of goats in McDonough’s office without telling him (and those goats did what goats do, ate everything and defecated). Among the interesting tidbits along those lines is this note from Wojnarowski’s story.
Fitzgerald? Well, it’s a Sarver team. Bower would have his hands full.