The Warriors have hired Wasserman Media Group NBA agent Bob Myers as Assistant GM, and new team Owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber "plan to groom him to take over the front office," according to league sources cited by Adrian Wojnarowski of YAHOO SPORTS. Warriors GM Larry Riley "will receive a contract extension" to stay with the franchise, but sources said that Lacob "offered Myers the job with an understanding he’ll eventually ascend to the top of basketball operations." Myers will leave WMG, "where he had risen quickly under powerful agent Arn Tellem to represent such players" as Trail Blazers G Brandon Roy and Thunder C Kendrick Perkins. Sources indicated that Myers "has discussed his move with his clients," and all have "committed to staying with Tellem" and WMG. Agent Greg Lawrence "has partnered with Myers on multiple clients and is expected to work with Tellem to take over the top players that Myers leaves behind" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/13). An NBA source said that the Warriors will extend Riley's contract through '13 (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/14). In San Jose, Tim Kawakami writes this is a "stunning decision by Lacob, because Myers has never held an executive position, does not have obvious ties to anybody in the front office, and he generally has not been considered as a candidate anywhere else." But that also is "what makes this a very canny hire," and perhaps even "a great hire." Myers is "levelheaded, well-connected and obviously very player-friendly" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 4/14). Blazers GM Rich Cho said, "Coming from the agent side and going to the front office side should bode very well for him" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 4/13).
