Chris Grant Opting Not to Join Hawks, Staying With Spurs

Former Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant has removed his name from consideration as a senior adviser with the Hawks to remain in his current front-office role with the Spurs, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

The Hawks reportedly are looking to add a veteran to their young front office, headlined by 34-year-old GM Landry Fields. Former NBA shooting guard Kyle Korver, 40, was recently hired as assistant GM.

“From what I’m told even though they were interested in bringing him in, Chris has actually pulled his name from consideration,” Windhorst said on his podcast, via RealGM. “He’s going to stay with the Spurs. He’s happy in San Antonio.”

Grant, 50, served as GM of the Cavs from 2011-14. He has since worked as a scout and executive with the Spurs.

Before joining the Cavs, Grant held several different positions within the Hawks’ basketball operations department, including assistant GM. He then joined the Cavs’ front office under Danny Ferry in 2005.

While with the Cavs, Grant drafted the likes of Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, both key members of the 2016 championship team. But he also selected Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, with Bennett becoming one of the most disappointing prospects in recent history.

Bennett was, however, later used as a piece to help facilitate the trade for Kevin Love, another key part of the Cavs’ championship core and a veteran reserve with the team today.

Grant also hired coach Mike Brown a second time ahead of the 2013-14 season. But Grant was fired by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert later that year after a brutal home loss to the Lakers, and Brown wasn’t far behind.

Five months after Grant was fired in 2014, LeBron James returned to Cleveland, though those two things were never related.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported recently that Grant was closing in on a deal to join the Hawks. But apparently, Grant will stay put.