Chapman to immediately join Wolves for draft

[Islington]

I don't post a lot ... but here's something that hasn't been posted yet.


Rex Chapman is joining the Minnesota Timberwolves as their new general manager and top aide to team vice president Kevin McHale, ESPN.com's Marc Stein has learned.

Chapman, according to NBA front-office sources, will start working with McHale immediately to help Minnesota with its selections in Tuesday's draft.

The former University of Kentucky star and 12-year NBA veteran resigned his position as Phoenix Suns director of basketball operations on June 15. Chapman later called the move a "mutual decision," amid reports of tension with Suns president Bryan Colangelo.

Sources said Chapman landed his new job with the strong backing of longtime McHale ally Danny Ainge, vice president of the Boston Celtics.

Chapman, who was instrumental in helping Phoenix lure Steve Nash away from Dallas last July, also played for new Wolves coach Dwane Casey when Casey was an assistant at Kentucky.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2095285

 

[HooverDam]

Cool, I wish Chapman luck.

Has it been announced who the Suns are going to hire to replace Rex? Maybe it was already announced and Im a dummy. I figure they are waiting until after the draft, so they dont have to worry about throwing someone into the fire so immediately.

 

[George O'Brien]

The timing on this is a bit strange. I don't know the ethics of an executive bringing inside drafting strategy to a competitor (they draft 14(, but it puts a whole new view on Rex's leaving.

One curious aspect of this is that there have been rumors or the Suns trading up. With the Wolves?

 

[elindholm]

Well unfortunately, my scenario of Marion and Richardson for Garnett is now shot to hell...

The Suns don't have any interest in Szczerbiak, do they? Since he would cost either Marion or Johnson (with incentives offered to Phoenix either way), that would be annoying.

 

[George O'Brien]

Well unfortunately, my scenario of Marion and Richardson for Garnett is now shot to hell...

The Suns don't have any interest in Szczerbiak, do they? Since he would cost either Marion or Johnson (with incentives offered to Phoenix either way), that would be annoying.

Wally went to my alma mater (Miami of Ohio), but I'm not convinced he'd be a good fit for the Suns. He needs to be on a half court team that does a lot of drive and kick out. The ideal team for him would be the Knicks (he's originally from NY), but unless the Knicks use up a lot of the draft picks they've been gathering I don't think they have the right stuff to make it work.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Something about this stinks.

 

[Griffin]

According to recent reports Chapman is not the new Wolves GM (at least not yet, they plan on keeping current GM Stack). He was hired as a draft consultant only. I'm just glad the Wolves don't have the 20th pick.

 

[sunsfn]

According to recent reports Chapman is not the new Wolves GM (at least not yet, they plan on keeping current GM Stack). He was hired as a draft consultant only. I'm just glad the Wolves don't have the 20th pick.

There was an article on Hoopshype, that Stack was leaving soon to go back into coaching.