General manager (basketball)

In basketball leagues such as the NBA and WNBA, the general manager (GM) of a team typically handles player transactions, manages contract negotiations, and has the power to hire and dismiss a head coach.

The exact title and responsibilities held by a general manager can vary from team to team. Some teams choose to have both a general manager and a President of Basketball Operations. For example, when Red Auerbach was team president of the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, Jan Volk, the team's GM from 1984 to 1997, reported to Auerbach regarding basketball-related decisions.^[1] Others, such as the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA, have a general manager who is also Chief Executive Officer of the organization, effectively reporting only to the owner.^[2] Still others will place player personnel decisions in the hands of a head coach; for example, when Don Nelson became coach of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976, he also became its general manager. In these cases, coaching staffs generally report to a different executive officer within the organization.