The Warriors are making an addition to their front office, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link ), who reports that the team is hiring Jon Phelps as its cap strategist and team counsel.
Phelps has long been a member of the Pistons‘ front office, having held a number of different roles with the team since 2014, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press tweets . His most recent title in Detroit was senior director of basketball strategy.
As Slater observes, Phelps will fill the hole in the Warriors’ front office that was created when Onsi Saleh left the organization earlier this spring to become an assistant general manager in Atlanta. Saleh’s position in Golden State had been VP of basketball strategy and team counsel.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- While the Suns could use some additional play-making, they don’t need to add a traditional starting point guard to their roster this summer, according to Gerald Bouguet of PHNX Sports . As Bourguet outlines, it would be extremely difficult to find a player who fits that bill anyway, given the team’s limited resources and the fact that there are bigger needs elsewhere on the roster.
- Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times makes the case against the Lakers using either of their two draft picks on Bronny James , arguing that it would be a “insanity” to take LeBron James ‘ son at No. 17 and “pandering” to use the No. 55 pick on him. In Plaschke’s view, the Lakers would only be drafting Bronny as further incentive for LeBron to re-sign, which isn’t fair to the 19-year-old.
- While it happened a year later than initially expected, it was good to see the Clippers putting their money where their mouth is by extending head coach Tyronn Lue , writes Law Murray of The Athletic , noting that the team can now shift its attention to its major roster decisions. Paul George will be the focus of the offseason in L.A., but the team also has important calls to make on free agent guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook and may look to extend center Ivica Zubac , as Murray details.