Washington Wizards: 3 Things to Know About GM Candidate Troy Weaver
By Ethan Smith
Proven Success at All Levels
Troy Weaver may not have “General Manager” on his resume yet, but he certainly has a long list of coaching and executive accolades.
Weaver began in the AAU circuit, founding and building the DC Assault. As coach of the team, Weaver went 85-17 and helped build DC Assault into a locally and nationally recognized AAU program.
From AAU, Weaver went on to the college game and worked as an assistant coach at New Mexico State, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse, where he was part of the team’s 2003 National Championship run.
After Syracuse, Weaver finally found himself in the NBA as a head scout and then director of player personnel with the Utah Jazz. After just four seasons (2004-08), Weaver took his talents to Oklahoma City in May of 2008 and became the Thunder’s Vice President/Assistant General manager for the next nine years. Although his title has now changed to Vice President of Basketball Operations, Weaver is still doing largely the same things: helping GM Sam Presti with roster construction, preparing for the NBA Draft, and making free agency decisions.
No matter what his title’s been in Oklahoma City, there’s no denying the impeccable roster building. Weaver was there when they drafted Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and James Harden. He was there as they built that team into a Western Conference champion. He was there as they continued to hit on the first-round draft picks like Reggie Jackson and Steven Adams. He’s been there as they rebuild the team after Durant’s departure with savvy trades and smart free agent finds.
With a roster sheet that’s mostly empty heading into next season, a master team builder may be what the Wizards need.