Travis Schlenk has the full endorsement of Jerry West.
That goes a long way.
The Hawks announced the hire of Schlenk as the franchise’s new general manager Thursday. The 41-year-old Schlenk arrives after spending the past 12 years with the Golden State Warriors, the past five as assistant general manager. Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler spoke to West as part of the search process and got a glowing recommendation from the NBA legend.
When The Logo speaks, people listen.
“I am just immensely impressed about how good he is,” West told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He is more than just someone who was an assistant. He is bright, really knowledgeable, unbelievably disciplined and hard-working, and I think has a real eye for talent. At the end of the day, teams are judged by talent.
“I’m happy for him, but the Warriors are going to miss him a lot.”
West currently is a Warriors executive board member and special advisor. After a Hall of Fame playing career, West coached the Lakers for three seasons. He then served as general manager for the Lakers, who won six NBA championships in his tenure, and the Grizzlies. He was twice NBA Executive of the Year. West joined the Warriors in 2011. His likeness was used as the silhouette incorporated into the NBA logo.
The Warriors will begin play in their third consecutive NBA Finals on June 1. They won the title in 2015. They have drafted and developed All-Star players such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Kevin Durant joined the team as a free agent this season.
West said he has watched Schlenk develop into a keen evaluator of talent and communicator. West believes Schlenk will excel with a Hawks team already stocked with talent and draft picks.
“I would say there are no basketball experts,” West said when asked about Schlenk’s eye for talent. “There are people who have a better educated guess. I certainly think that he has a better educated guess than most. I’m thrilled for him. I’ve seen a lot of people get hired and they get hired for a lot of different reasons but this is one hiring that should have been a few years ago. People are going to miss out who haven’t approached him. I’ll tell you that right now.”
Ressler restructured the Hawks front office May 8. Mike Budenholzer is no longer president of basketball operations, but remains head coach. Wes Wilcox is no longer general manager, but remains a special advisor to ownership. Ressler led the search for a new general manager who will have final say on basketball operations.
West said he and Schlenk speak often about the league and its players. He expects open lines of communication to continue between Schlenk and the staff in Atlanta.
“One of the most healthy thing about working with the Warriors is everyone has a voice,” West said. “At the end of the day, someone has to make a final decision … but everyone has a voice. I think it’s healthy. I think it’s a healthy to disagree. You have to have your own opinion. That’s one of the things that people who work with him will really love.”
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