Tony Ressler's ownership group is expected to be approved by the NBA's board of governors on June 24. Once that happens, they will have to hit the ground running with several key decisions that will shape the future of the franchise. Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Hawks are planning to promote head coach Mike Budenholzer to President of Basketball Operations and Wes Wilcox to General Manager while parting ways with current and embattled GM Danny Ferry.
Budenholzer will become president and head coach, partnering in the front office with Wes Wilcox, who will become the Hawks' general manager, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Budenholzer has been in charge of basketball operations since Ferry stepped away before the start of training camp. He along with Wilcox have guided the franchise in the day-to-day operations and helped lead the team to a historic season. From a continuity standpoint, this move is the best possible solution short of a return by Ferry. This opens the door for them to bring in a new assistant general manager or to promote someone already on the staff.
The feeling around the franchise for some time has been that a Ferry return was unlikely. He has gone to great lengths to to repair his tarnished reputation to the degree that he is likely to get another chance from an NBA team down the road. For the Hawks, it is a situation where they are moving forward as a team and as a franchise. Make no mistake, Ferry was the architect who transformed the Hawks into a 60 win team and the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.
Budenholzer and Wilcox deserve credit as well. While Ferry had the final say before his exile, Budenholzer and Wilcox were heavily involved in the decision making process. By promoting Budenholzer and Wilcox, the Hawks would keep that decision making process in place and is the clearest path to a smooth transition.