Rick Sund: Difference between revisions

Sund began his managerial career in [[1974-75 NBA season|1974]] with the [[Milwaukee Bucks]] after graduating from [[Ohio University]] with a degree in sports administration. Sund holds a bachelor's degree in [[political science]] from [[Northwestern University]] where he was a two-sport athlete, twice named academic All-[[Big Ten]] on the basketball squad, while also seeing action as a tight end and wide receiver on the football team. At Northwestern, he joined [[Delta Upsilon]] fraternity.<ref name=HAWKSbio>[{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/Rick_Sund_Bio.html |title=HAWKS: Rick Sund Bio]}}</ref>

The expansion [[Dallas Mavericks]] hired him in [[1979-80 NBA season|1979]] at 28 years of age, making him the youngest general manager in the NBA's history.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}} He helped assemble the first ever Mavericks roster, and for the remainder of his multiple-year tenure around the organization, brought in [[Brad Davis (basketball)|Brad Davis]], [[Rolando Blackman]], [[Mark Aguirre]] and others. His 1986-87 Mavericks won a then-franchise record 55 games and took home the Midwest division crown.<ref name=HAWKSbio/><ref>[{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/mavericks/history/00400544.html |title=Mavericks history]}}</ref> They reached the Western Conference Finals [[1987-88 NBA season|the next year]], but fell to the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] in seven games.

He moved on to the [[Detroit Pistons]] in [[1995-96 NBA season|1995-96]], a rollercoasterroller coaster five seasons at the helm of a talented team holding a young [[Grant Hill]]. They made the playoffs four of six seasons Sund ran the front office. One of the most notable trades during his tenure was the 1997 deal of [[Otis Thorpe]] to the [[Vancouver Grizzlies]] for a protected future 1st round pick. This pick eventually became unprotected in 2003 and netted the 2nd pick in the draft, by which new GM [[Joe Dumars]] selected [[Darko Milicic]], widely considered the biggest bust in NBA history.

Sund then left for the [[Seattle SuperSonics]], running the team for six seasons. During his tenure, Sund traded for [[Ray Allen]] (using franchise figure [[Gary Payton]]), drafted talented young players such as [[Nick Collison]], and built his Sonics around Allen and fellow sharpshooter [[Rashard Lewis]]. In spite of this, the SuperSonics only made the playoffs twice during Sund's six seasons as general manager.<ref>{{cite news | first = Charles | last = Odum | title = Hawks hire Rick Sund as general manager | date = 28 May 2008 | url = https://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/2008-05-28-1353676584_x.htm | work = [[USA Today]] | accessdateaccess-date = 2012-06-08}}</ref>

Prior to the [[2008-09 NBA season|2008–2009 season]]'s start, sixth man [[Josh Childress]] left for Europe after not receiving an offer higher than his restricted free agent qualifying offer. Sund acquired [[Maurice Evans (basketball)|Maurice Evans]] and [[Ronald "Flip" Murray]] to fill Childress' vacancy. While Evans was overpaid{{According to whom|date=January 2013}} (three years at $2.5 million per year),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/evansma01.html|title = Maurice Evans Stats}}</ref> Murray did serve as a great sixth man in his one season with the Hawks, averaging 12.2 PPG on .447 FG% from 2008–20092008 to 2009, while being paid $1.5 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/murraro01.html|title = Ronald Murray Stats}}</ref> The Hawks clinched the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference during the 2008-092008–09 season, edged the [[Miami Heat]] in the first round of the playoffs in seven games after falling behind 2–1, and then were swept by the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] in the second round.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/recap/_/id/290511001/cleveland-cavaliers-vs-atlanta-hawks|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006130326/http://espn.go.com/nba/recap/_/id/290511001/cleveland-cavaliers-vs-atlanta-hawks|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 6, 2014|title = Cavaliers vs. Hawks - Game Recap - May 11, 2009 - ESPN}}</ref>

Over the summer 2009, Sund's Hawks made some more moves. They drafted [[Jeff Teague (basketball)|Jeff Teague]] and [[Sergei Gladyr]]. {{as of|2012}}, Gladyr still has not played an official game with the Hawks. He also re-signed free agents [[Mike Bibby]] (three years, roughly $6 million per year<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bibbymi01.html|title = Mike Bibby Stats}}</ref>), [[Zaza Pachulia]], and [[Marvin Williams]] (five years at about $7.5 million per year<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willima02.html|title = Marvin Williams Stats}}</ref><ref name="hoopshype.com">{{Cite web|url=http://hoopshype.com/salaries/atlanta.htm|title = These are the salaries of all NBA players}}</ref>). Then, Sund acquired [[Jamal Crawford]] via trade for [[Speedy Claxton]] and [[Acie Law]], and Crawford went on to become the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 18.0 PPG on .449 FG% in the 2009–2010 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/crawfja01.html|title = Jamal Crawford Stats}}</ref> He also signed free agents [[Joe Smith (basketball)|Joe Smith]] and [[Jason Collins]], neither of whom made significant contributions in the 2009–2010 season. The Hawks won 53 games that season, clinched the third seed behind the [[Orlando Magic]], and edged the [[Milwaukee Bucks]] in seven games after falling behind 3–2. In the second round, the Magic swept the Hawks in the most lopsided playoff series in NBA history. [[Joe Johnson (basketball)|Joe Johnson]] made a comment following one of the losses that he didn't care if Hawks fans showed up.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/johnson-on-unhappy-fans-522943.html | title=Johnson on unhappy fans: "We could care less if they show up" | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112112235/http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/johnson-on-unhappy-fans-522943.html | archive-date=2011-11-12}}</ref>

Over the summer of 2010, Sund signed Joe Johnson to a six-year, $119 million contract.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Joe-Johnson-to-sign-a-ridiculous-deal-with-the-A?urn=nba,252877|title = Yahoo Sports NBA}}</ref> That summer he also did not re-sign [[Mike Woodson]] as head coach, but instead of hiring a coach and changing the Hawks mediocre culture, he promoted Woodson's head assistant [[Larry Drew]] (three years, about $1.25 million per year<ref name="ajc.com">{{Cite web | url=http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/larry-drew-to-return-1440504.html | title=Larry Drew to return as Hawks coach | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622091930/http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/larry-drew-to-return-1440504.html | archive-date=2012-06-22}}</ref>). However, he also extended Al Horford for five seasons at $12 million per season,<ref name="hoopshype.com"/> and drafted [[Jordan Crawford]]. Instead of using the Hawks' 31st overall pick, Sund sold it for cash. Sund also re-signed Jason Collins. During the 2010–2011 season, the Hawks continued to start Bibby over Teague, played Jordan Craword very little, and won 44 games despite few injuries. Just before the trade deadline, Sund traded the prospect Jordan Crawford, the Hawks' future first-round pick in the 2011 draft, and dumped Bibby and Evans's salaries all to the [[Washington Wizards]] for [[Kirk Hinrich]] and [[Hilton Armstrong]]<ref>http{{Cite web|url=https://sportswww.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6152388|title=Hawks get Hinrich from Wizards in 5-player deal|date=February 24, 2011}}</ref> in return. The Hawks however did upset the Orlando magic in six games as the #5 seed in the 2011 playoffs, and played competitive for a while against the top-seeded Bulls in the second round (winning game 1 and almost game 2, only to lose game 3 badly, win a close game 4, and lose 5 and 6 badly). Jason Collins proved to be useful against [[Dwight Howard]] on defense, but not against the Bulls.

In the summer of 2011, the Hawks only draft pick, in the second round, was used on [[Keith Benson]], who didn't make the team during the December training camp. Jamal Crawford was not re-signed to avoid going into the luxury tax. However, Sund also re-signed Collins, and added [[Tracy McGrady]], [[Willie Green]], [[Jannero Pargo]], [[Vladimir Radmanović]], [[Jerry Stackhouse]], and [[Eric Dampier]], all at veterans minimums. Signing that many veteran minimum contracts pushed the Hawks into the luxury tax, although McGrady, Green, and Pargo had productive seasons. Childress also came back from Greece, and was signed-and-traded to Phoenix for a trade exception (not used) and a second-round draft pick (sold for cash to pay the luxury tax).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2012/03/15/atlanta-hawks-hawks-trade-second-round-draft-pick-for-cash/ |title=Atlanta Hawks: Hawks trade second-round draft pick for cash &#124; Atlanta Hawks |access-date=May 24, 2012 |archive-date=April 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418044703/http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2012/03/15/atlanta-hawks-hawks-trade-second-round-draft-pick-for-cash/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Hawks also signed 27-year-old rookie [[Ivan Johnson]], who had a productive season, even finishing as rookie of the month in April.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/ivan-johnson-named-eastern-conference-rookie-month|title = Ivan Johnson Named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month|website = [[NBA.com]]}}</ref> The Hawks won 40 games in the lockout-shortened season despite Horford missing most of the season, and clinched home court and the #5 seed against the #4 division winner [[Boston Celtics]]. The Hawks lost in six games.

*[httphttps://sportswww.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2848273 Sonics fire coach Hill, remove GM Sund in shakeup]

[[Category:National Basketball AssociationNBA executives]]

[[Category:National Basketball AssociationNBA general managers]]