The Nuggets did not hire their last general manager until nearly four months into the 2001 offseason. In searching for Kiki Vandeweghe’s replacement, the team once again feels no rush to make a decision and has set no time frame.
Owner Stan Kroenke is dealing with family business this weekend and should begin addressing the search for Vandeweghe’s replacement this week.
Rumored potential candidates include: Tommy Sheppard, Washington’s director of basketball operations; San Antonio assistant GM Sam Presti; Detroit vice president for basketball operations John Hammond; Utah assistant coach Scott Layden; and Mark Warkentien, the Nuggets’ director of player personnel.
Warkentien, who declined comment Saturday, joined the team last season to specialize in scouting. He was in a similar situation last year when he ran Cleveland’s front office on an interim basis before the team hired Danny Ferry. Warkentien and assistant general managers David Fredman and Jeff Weltman will run the team until it names Vandeweghe’s successor.
Sheppard, who declined comment, is a known commodity to the Nuggets, having spent 1994 to 2003 in the organization. Presti, a young pupil of Spurs GM R.C. Buford, could earn a look because of the strong impression the Spurs organization has made on Kroenke.
Aside from often being listed as a future general manager, Hammond has ties to Kroenke. He served as Missouri’s associate head coach in 1999-2000 on a team that included the owner’s son, Josh Kroenke. Layden has served as the top decision-maker in New York and Utah, and has ties to Fredman in Denver.
There is less pressure to make a quick hire because Denver does not have a first-round draft pick. However, a possible deal for one could surface, and the team must decide whether it will trade disgruntled forward Kenyon Martin. The Nuggets also likely will have six free agents, headlined by Nene.
Reached in his native Brazil on Friday, the restricted free-agent forward said he was surprised by Vandeweghe’s departure and said it could affect his decision to re-sign with Denver this summer. Dan Fegan, Nene’s agent, has a strong relationship with Vandeweghe.
“Kiki and Dan talk,” Nene said. “I don’t know now. We need to wait….The communication is going to change now because Kiki knows a lot of Dan. I don’t know the new (general) manager.”
Forward Reggie Evans, another Denver free agent, said, “It really won’t affect me that much.”
Footnotes
Coach George Karl said he expects his coaching staff to return, though he left the door open for a newcomer to arrive as assistant Tim Grgurich did late last offseason. “My staff did a great job,” Karl said. “I’m very complimentary of them. I’m always interested in improving a staff, but it’s not high on my list of worries. If a Tim Grgurich were to fall out of the sky, I’d probably look at it, but I don’t expect that and I expect my staff to be back.”…While Weltman would not speculate on his long-term future with the franchise, Fredman said he expects to stay.
Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
