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Suns' McDonough To Take Over For Babby; Nuggets/Avs Hire NBA Kings GM D'Alessandro

Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby's second contract in his current position "will expire at the end of July," after which he "will remain a part-time senior adviser" with the team, according to Paul Coro of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Suns GM Ryan McDonough "takes over as head of basketball operations." Babby "never intended to stay past his first three-year contract but he is smitten with Phoenix, where he will stay involved in Suns contract negotiations and salary-cap management." The change "will not be a major shake-up with McDonough, after two years in Phoenix, already leading much of the operation." McDonough and Assistant GMs Trevor Bukstein, "groomed by Babby" since he worked for his DC firm, and Pat Connelly also "will add responsibility" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/11).

ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY: YAHOO SPORTS' Adrian Wojnarowski cited sources as saying that NBA Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro is "finalizing a deal to return to a front-office job" with the Nuggets and Avalanche organizations. The sources added that he will "serve in an operations position," answering to Avalanche and Nuggets President Josh Kroenke. D’Alessandro "went to the Kings three years ago" from the Nuggets, where he had been the Assistant GM under then-Nuggets Exec VP/Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri, who now serves as President of Basketball Operations & GM of the Raptors. D’Alessandro "has a strong relationship with Nuggets GM Tim Connelly, and D’Alessandro’s role will allow for him to be a resource, when called upon, for Connelly" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/10). In Sacramento, Jason Jones wrote D’Alessandro’s departure from the Kings "ends a tumultuous tenure that began with high hopes when he was hired" by Managing Partnerr Vivek Ranadive in June '13. But D’Alessandro was "stripped of his decision-making power this spring" when Ranadive hired VP/Basketball & Franchise Operations Vlade Divac. It is "believed potential candidates to replace D’Alessandro include" Lakers Assistant Scouting Dir Ryan West and Warriors Assistant GM & Dir of Player Personnel Travis Schlenk (SACBEE.com, 6/10). Meanwhile, in N.Y., Roger Rubin reports D'Alessandro was one of St. John's Univ.'s "top candidates" to become its next AD. He "seemed like a good fit to take over," as his "roots in basketball began" at the school. Newly hired St. John's basketball coach Chris Mullin previously hired D'Alessando "to his staff" when he was Warriors GM, and D'Alessando more recently "hired Mullin as an advisor to the Kings" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/11).

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