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Bucks hiring Jazz's Justin Zanik as GM-in-waiting

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https://sports.yahoo.com/news/sourc...aiting-005117256.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

Sources: Bucks hiring Jazz's Justin Zanik as GM-in-waiting

The Milwaukee Bucks are hiring Utah Jazz executive Justin Zanik as the franchise's general manager-in-waiting, league sources told The Vertical.

Zanik, an assistant general manager with Utah, will join the Bucks with a similar job title – and an agreement that he will eventually become the successor to Milwaukee GM John Hammond, sources said.

Zanik has constructed a strong reputation within the league as a front-office executive and previously a player agent. Milwaukee was aggressive in pursuing him to eventually lead the franchise's basketball operations.

Hammond was part of the Bucks' ownership process that identified Zanik and recruited him to Milwaukee, league sources said.

A timetable on the succession plan is still unclear, sources said. Utah GM Dennis Lindsey was agreeable in letting Zanik make the move because the initial assistant GM role comes with the provision that Zanik will become the Bucks' top basketball executive, league sources said.

Zanik's hiring is another in a sequence of significant franchise moves that co-owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry have made since the $550 million purchase of the Bucks in 2014. The Bucks hired Jason Kidd as coach, and are working with the city and state to move into a new downtown arena.

The Bucks are moving toward a contract extension with Kidd as coach, league sources said.

Zanik's ascent has been rapid within the Jazz organization and the rest of the league. He joined the Jazz front office in the summer of 2013 after a nine-year run as a player agent with Andy Miller at ASM Sports. Zanik had been a player agent for 15 years. Zanik worked closely with Lindsey on player personnel – including the drafting of Rodney Hood and Dante Exum – and the hiring of Jazz coach Quin Snyder. Zanik oversaw the Jazz's NBA Development League affiliate, a project that Milwaukee is expected to undertake in the future.

Zanik, who has strong family ties to the Wisconsin area, will transition from the Jazz to the Bucks soon, league sources said. Zanik graduated from Northwestern University with an economics degree.

Hammond has been Milwaukee's GM since 2008, a tenure that has included three playoff appearances and his selection as the NBA's Executive of the Year in 2010. Hammond drafted franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Hammond's contract has one year remaining, sources said.
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That hurts. He always has done a ****-ton of scouting for us. If he didn't crush it, Milwaukee wouldn't have hired him.


Thanks for what you did, Zanik. Glad we lost you after the season, after getting a full years work from you ;)
 
The silver lining in this is that people probably take our FO pretty seriously, ripping our assistants from us Spurs style.
 
Part of the process of getting good. Hopefully, the Jazz have a plan in place to try to upgrade the job when he leaves. Upward and onward.
 
So now the Bucks at 10 will know all our draft plans.

But more seriously -- best of luck to Zanik -- sounds like he has been a real asset.
 
Hopefully DL has somebody else in his back pocket...


He did pluck Zanuck seemingly out of thin air so here's hoping he can do the same again.
 
He's always done a ton of scouting? The guy has only been with Utah since 2013. KOC didn't have an assistant until Lindsey was brought in as the heir apparent. IIRC, Zanik was brought in because Utah had a lot of upcoming contracts. This is such a minor blip. Just need a paper pusher to replace his role...someone who has experience writing and reviewing contracts.
 
Stifle Tower said:
He's always done a ton of scouting? The guy has only been with Utah since 2013. KOC didn't have an assistant until Lindsey was brought in as the heir apparent. IIRC, Zanik was brought in because Utah had a lot of upcoming contracts. This is such a minor blip. Just need a paper pusher to replace his role...someone who has experience writing and reviewing contracts.
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Gosh I love your hot takes.

Keep em comin.
 
Sorry for Zanac. Jason Kidd will be wanting GM powers and probably had it in mind that he would get them when Hammnd retires. Kidd will be trying to undercut him from day 1.

I guess trading Monroe might be fun for a while.
 
Lakers_Slapper said:
Spurs style consists of winning, ours doesn't. Other than that, yea, we're exactly the same.
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Not that simplistic. The Jazz seem to be establishing a strong culture, which is one of the hallmarks of the Spurs organization (inb4 "but the Spurs copied the Jazz in the first place!). Part of creating a strong organizational culture is an air-tight succession plan. If the Jazz are creating as strong a culture as I hope they are, then this should not be a devastating loss. Time will tell.
 
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