Kings moving to Seattle - could Larry Bird be going with them?


Interesting story evolving out of the Kings/Sonics melodrama today. As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, the Kings are reportedly leaving Sacramento for Seattle after their impending sale. The city of Seattle owns the naming rights to the 'Sonics', so after a five year hiatus - the Sonics of Payton, Kemp and my main man Detlef Schrempf are returning.

However that's not the whole story. Today Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the new Supersonics have Celtics legend Larry Bird at the top of their wish list to run the franchise (Along with current Spurs GM R.C. Buford). From Woj's article (link).

The new Seattle NBA ownership group has begun discussing possible candidates to run its franchise and has deliberated whether to target San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and former Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Bird, the NBA's 2011 Executive of the Year, stepped away from the Pacers in the spring to take care of some health issues, but had planned to return in 2013 or '14. Bird wants to work again and there's nothing contractual that binds him to the Pacers. Donnie Walsh and Kevin Pritchard are running the Pacers' front office now.
As GM, Bird replenished the Pacers' roster with multiple top young players through the draft, including Roy Hibbert, Paul George and Danny Granger.

The bolded is news to me, I thought that the health issues that had forced Bird to walk away wouldn't necessarily allow him to return - but it appears I was wrong. It would probably take some convincing by the Seattle franchise for Larry Legend to take his talents to the Pacific Northwest, but if he really is that interested in a return to the game, the Kings/Sonics have a few nice young pieces along with a TON of cap room. So there are certainly worse destinations.

Woj also discusses some 'lower profile' possibilities, in case Bird and Buford pass. Among those he names - Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough.

If the new Seattle group ultimately searches for lower-profile candidates with strong player personnel backgrounds, Boston assistant GM Ryan McDonough, who had a significant hand in the drafting of Rajon Rondo and Al Jefferson, and Oklahoma City's Troy Weaver, whose draft résumé includes Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, could surface as candidates.

It would be very interesting if McDonough gets the job, as the SacramentoSeattle SuperSonicKings have several pieces that Danny Ainge has long been enamored with, in PF/C DeMarcus Cousins and G Tyreke Evans. I have a feeling that a phone call from Boston to Seattle would be placed as soon as the Sonics rent out some office space in the space needle (never been to the Emerald City so that's the best I could do).

Personally though I'm rooting for Bird to get the gig. He did a really good job with Indiana his last few years and I'd like to see him back in the saddle, especially in the Western Conference.

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