The NBA is an ever-changing sport. Ever since the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trade at the peak of his powers, there’s been uncertainty to everything that happens in the league. Whether it is league-altering stuff like Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors, or minor moves like PJ Tucker being traded for Drew Eubanks, the new cycle is always churning.
And at the bottom of all the moves, trades, and transactions, are the GMs of the respective organizations. It is hard to argue that they hold the most power in the NBA from an altering its fate perspective. It is why nicknames like LeGM for LeBron James exist. So, let’s take a look at the men who shape the course of your favorite franchise.
List of NBA General Managers
Eastern Conference
- Landry Fields, Atlanta Hawk GM
- Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Sean Marks, Brooklyn Nets GM
- Jeff Peterson, Charlotte Hornets GM
- Marc Eversley, Chicago Bulls GM
- Mike Gansey, Cleveland Cavaliers GM
- Dennis Lindsey, Detroit Pistons Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Chad Buchanan, Indiana Pacers GM
- Andy Elisburg, Miami Heat Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks GM
- Gersson Rosas, New York Knicks Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Anthony Parker, Orlando Magic GM
- Elton Brand, Philadelphia 76ers GM
- Bobby Webster, Toronto Raptors GM
- Will Dawkins, Washington Wizards GM
Western Conference
- Nico Harrison, Dallas Mavericks President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Calvin Booth, Denver Nuggets GM
- Mike Dunleavy Jr., Golden State Warriors GM
- Rafael Stone, Houston Rockets GM
- Trent Redden, Los Angeles Clippers GM
- Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Matt Lloyd, Minnesota Timberwolves GM
- Bryson Graham, New Orleans Pelicans GM
- Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and GM
- James Jones, Phoenix Suns President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers GM
- Monte McNair, Sacramento Kings President of Basketball Operations and GM
- Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs GM
- Justin Zanik, Utah Jazz GM
NBA’s Longest-Tenured GMs
The three longest-tenured general managers in the NBA reside with the Thunder, Heat, and the Nets.
For Oklahoma City, Sam Presti has been the architect since the franchise shifted to Oklahoma, joining the team in 2007. He oversaw the historic trio of James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant — and their subsequent trades. Now, after collecting a mountain of assets, Presti has once again developed one of the best young teams in the league, led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Andy Elisburg joined Miami in 2013, in the midst of the LeBron James Heatles era. Under his reign, the Heat have gone to three additional NBA Finals, as he oversaw the post-James era and guided the team through the Jimmy Butler saga.
The case for Sean Marks is rather simple. When he joined the Nets in 2016, they were beginning to emerge from the ramifications of the disastrous Celtics trade. Marks took over and made Brooklyn an instant playoff team, thereby attracting names like KD, Kyrie Irving, and Harden. While it didn’t result in championship success, Marks’ work made the Nets one of the most buzzworthy teams for nearly half a decade.
Last 5 Executive of the Year Award Winners
- 2023-24: Brad Stevens | Boston Celtics
- 2022-23: Monte McNair | Sacramento Kings
- 2021-22: Zach Kleiman | Memphis Grizzlies
- 2020-21: James Jones | Phoenix Suns
- 2019-20: Lawrence Frank | Los Angeles Clippers
It’s hard to argue with any of these winners. Frank, in hindsight, might be the only name up for debate as the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George experiment hasn’t paid dividends for the Clippers as they had hoped.
But, for almost every other team, it gave them some of their best seasons in recent memory. The Suns made it all the way to the NBA Finals, thanks to the shrewd insertion of Chris Paul into the lineup.
Similarly, a few classy moves by Kleiman paved the way for the Grizzlies to emerge as a perennial contender. It gave him the Executive of the Year Award, making him the youngest GM to take home the honors.
McNair was responsible for ending a 20-year playoff drought in Sacramento, as the team led by Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox made it to a Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors.
It had to be Stevens in 2023-24, who got Derrick White and Kristaps Porziņģis thanks to a couple of excellent trades and gave the Celtics their first NBA Championship in more than 15 years.
