<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> November 23, 2007 -- Golden State GM Chris Mullin is expected to emerge as a top candidate for the Knicks GM job if Isiah Thomas eventually is fired from his dual role as coach and president, The Post has learned.</p> VECSEY: After 2-9 Start, Dolan Needs Plan To Bail Out Sinkin' Ship</p> MORE: Knicks Blog</p> Mullin was at sold-out Madison Square Garden on Tuesday and heard all the "Fire Isiah" chants as his Warriors belted the Knicks by 26 points.</p> The former St. John's sharp-shooting superstar out of Brooklyn told a confidant Wednesday that an employee from the organization, during an informal chat, secretly asked Mullin if he'd be interested in coming to the Knicks if the GM spot is open next summer.</p> Owner James Dolan is not ready to make a move yet and Thomas will coach the team tomorrow against the Bulls, though he appears on thin ice.</p> Mullin, 43, is in his fourth season as Golden State's executive VP of basketball operations and has built a young, athletic team that posted one of the biggest playoff upsets in NBA history when it shocked the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs last spring.</p> The Knicks said yesterday they have not looked at any potential candidates because the job is filled. There were no indications Dolan is ready to fire Thomas imminently despite the Knicks' eight-game losing streak and 2-9 record, tied for second-worst in the league.</p> The most likely scenario if Thomas is fired in the near future is for senior VP Glen Grunwald to inherit the job on an interim basis until a proper search can be done during the offseason. Assistant coach Herb Williams would be promoted to head coach.</p> A lot would have to happen before New York's favorite son could come home. Mullin is beloved by Golden State owner Chris Cohane, so the Knicks could have a hard time getting Mullin out of his Golden State contract. A league source said Mullin has at least one more guaranteed year left on his pact after this one, maybe two.</p> Mullin executed one of the best trades in recent memory last season when he obtained Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington from the Pacers - a move that helped break the Warriors' 13-year playoff drought. Mullin also traded for All-Star Baron Davis.</div></p> Source: NY Post</p> It's a NY Post article, but it's an interesting topic nonetheless.</p>
Mullin has done a nice job getting talent but people forget about the Foyle and Murphy contracts, the dude overpays. Imagine him on a the Knicks who can actually afford his mistakes, its Isiah Thomas all over again.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GM3)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Mullin has done a nice job getting talent but people forget about the Foyle and Murphy contracts, the dude overpays. Imagine him on a the Knicks who can actually afford his mistakes, its Isiah Thomas all over again.</p> </div></p> I think that's a leap of faith on your part. Mullin did make a lot of mistakes when he first took over the Warriors and went on a spending spree overpaying for players and signing them way too, early. Several rookie GMs make the mistake of trying to build a team around what they think will work, instead of communicating with their headcoach on what players are needed to fit the coach's style and system.</p> However, Mullin has slowly fixed those mistakes and also lured Don Nelson out of retirement. He's shown patience with this current crop of players by not maxing out Biedrins and waiting to see what the market will dictate his price tag to be.</p> He's learned from his mistakes and I think he'd be outstanding in New York if he does leave the Warriors organization. I'd be curious to see what type of team he builds there with the current roster New York has. It's a far cry from the small-ball Warrior team. Hiring the right coach to maximize the inside games of ZBo and Curry and deal with their personalities would be his toughest task.</p> If Mullin leaves there's a strong chance Nellie takes over his GM duties and becomes the GM/Coach of the Warriors for the interim.</p> </p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GM3)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Mullin has done a nice job getting talent but people forget about the Foyle and Murphy contracts, the dude overpays. Imagine him on a the Knicks who can actually afford his mistakes, its Isiah Thomas all over again.</p> </div></p> </p> You can also point to that to show how much better he is as a GM right now than when he first started. He made some horrible signings; Fish, Foyle, Dunleavy, Murphy, J-Rich wasn't a bad signing but still a very large contract. Now look at him though, hes bitch slapping Don Nelson in contract negotiations, refusing to give Baron any more money, and hes signing bargain role players (Azu, Croshere, Hudson, Barnes, etc.) Hes already got a pretty good eye for talent in the draft as well; Biedrins at 11, POB is turning out nicely for a 9 pick in a horrible draft, Ike still hasn't done much but Mullin just wanted a "nba ready" player to help with what we all thought would be a playoff team, Monta at 42, Taft at 44 (he looked great in the limited time I saw him, too bad his back went out), Belinelli at 18, Wright at 8.</p> He usually comes away a winner in trades as well and hes not afraid to make a big move; Baron for Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis, Zarko (too bad he effed up his back too) for 2 2nd round picks, Fisher for expiring contracts, Jack, Al, Powell, Sarunas for Dunny, Murph, Ike, McLeod, J-Rich and Jermareo Davidson for Wright and 10 mil TE. He also fired Montgomery and hired Nellie back. He bought out Foyle and Sarunas on the cheap and picked Azu and Barnes out of he D-League.</p> I'd be a little concerned if we lost Mullin to the Knicks just because theres so many crappy GMs out there I don't want to end up with one after Mullion has turned it around the last few years. I agree with Shape that Nellie would be the interim GM but hes not going to be around forever and IIRC he said he was too old to be GMing and coaching at the same time when he first got hired.</p>
I thought Mullin's name came up because he's from the NY area. Still, Cohan probably pays him peanuts so he may bolt. Perhaps he's frustrated that he can't sign players because of Cohan's tax problems and things may not be as smooth with him and Nelson.</p>
Mullin ver. 1, who signed Fisher, Murphy, Foyle, and Dunleavy, was worse than Twerdzik. And, that was the time when I seriously thought about not being a Warriors fan anymore. But, I would hate to lose Mullin ver. 2, who traded Fisher, Murphy, and Dunleavy and bought out Foyle, who did excellent jobs after all those growing pain.</p> </p> Will Mullin leave here to take NY's job? Mullin might have spent his first half in NY, but he also spent his last half in here after he entered NBA. Mullin just cleaned up his mistakes, made this team bottom half PO team, and he can design this team as he wishes next year when tons of players become FAs. Being in NY with unlimited spotlight and caproom is nice. But, Mullin should know that NY's financial situation is absolutely horrible. Both Marbury (21 mils) and Rose (7.5 mils) can be expring contracts in 08-09 season, but Richardson and James' contracts will end in 09-10, and Randolph, Curry, Crawford, and Jefferies' contracts goes till 10-11. I doubt that NY will wait yet another 2-3 years to clean up the house and rebuild. If Mullin takes NY job now, he will most likely get fired in 2-3 years after cleaning up (or trying to clean up) the house for next GM. Maybe, two or three years later, NY will be more attractive place for any GM. But, right now, it is a living hell for any GM, and I don't think Mullin would take that gig unless he gets paid a boatload of $...</p>
Mullin 2.0 has been great thus far, but the one variable I think will ruin our chances at a finals game is because of our owner. Our owner is considered to be a mixed bag (being neither good or bad), but I think he's a mixed bag of garbage. He's not so much Donald Sterling cheap, but he gives us the impression he doesn't really care if the Warriors win or lose so long as they make money. He's invisible from the public eye and he makes us feel like he's not behind the team 100%, especially when at the beginning he surrounded this organization with boneheads who didn't know what the hell they were doing. I'd figure if Cohan was a fan, he'd do a little more research and know about the business more. He's sitting on one of the top markets for basketball and the Warriors have been bad for so long under his reign.</p> Right now, I like the way things are going to be (which means plenty of possibilities). Right now may suck, but I think we sort of knew we were going to be barely an 8th seed or a non-playoff team this year. That's what we seem like now since if Baron or Sjax don't play, it makes it that much harder to win games, especially against guys in our own conference. Once we get that big man we've always been wanting, the Warriors could be something. No nba team has won championships in recent time without all-star big or really solid big players.</p>
