The NFL’s Washington Commanders are going through an offseason overhaul—one that’ll be shaped by a committee of sports executives, including former Warriors GM Bob Myers.
Commanders majority owner Josh Harris, who is also the owner and managing partner of the Philadelphia 76ers, indicated that Myers will be an advisor to him beyond the process of coaching and front office search.
Myers is joined by former Vikings GM Rick Spielman, who was also added as an advisor.
The two executives will work with Harris, Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson, and David Blitzer (the latter three being limited partners of the Commanders) as part of a committee “designed to reshape” the Commanders’ front office and coaching staff, per ESPN. Members of the current front office will also remain on staff for at least the time being.
The Commanders’ current front office, including GM Martin Mayhew and executive VP of football/player personnel Marty Hurney, will remain on staff through the search process, officials said. The new head of football operations and head coach will determine their long-term futures with the Commanders, team officials told ESPN.
Myers Championship Insights To Washington
Myers, who joined the Warriors in 2011 as an assistant general manager before being promoted to general manager in 2012, led the production of four NBA championships in Golden State. He was recognized as the NBA’s Executive of the Year in 2015 and 2017.
Notable Warriors roster moves under Myers’ leadership include:
♠ Re-signed Stephen Curry to a four-year, $44 million rookie-scale extension in 2012 (for reference, No. 1 pick Blake Griffin, who, like Curry, missed significant time with injuries during his rookie contract, was among the players to sign a contract with larger annual values, inking a full five-year max extension worth approximately $95 million with the Clippers).
♣ Drafted Harrison Barnes (No. 7 overall) and Draymond Green (No. 35 overall) in the 2012 NBA Draft—both players rank in the top 6 in career win shares among all 2012 draftees (also worth noting that Myers was an assistant GM when the team drafted Klay Thompson with the No. 11 overall pick in 2011).
♥ Trading for Andre Iguodala in a 2013 offseason deal that sent away a pair of future draft picks and surrendered significant depth, signaling an all-in strategy behind the team’s core (Myers previously said it was the hardest deal he’s ever had to make).
♦ Signing Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016 and when Durant opted to leave for Brooklyn in 2019, facilitating a D’Angelo Russell sign-and-trade rather than allowing KD to walk for nothing in free agency (which later allowed the team to trade D-Lo for Andrew Wiggins, who aided the Warriors’ 2022 title run).
It’s not the first time NFL franchises have hired NBA executives and vice-versa.
The Wizards, for example, had long-time NFL executive Sashi Brown in-house as their chief planning and operations officer from 2019-2022 before the Harvard grad took the role as President of the Baltimore Ravens. Former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie began his sports career as an advisor to the 49ers and Texans while earning his MBA at Stanford University (Hinkie would also advise the Broncos after his time with the Sixers concluded).
Statement from former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers pic.twitter.com/iNVjRvPB1l
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 8, 2024
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