https://www.sbnation.com/2014/10/1/6877405/nba-general-manager-candidates-troy-weaver-okc-thunder

1. Troy Weaver, Thunder

Weaver has the distinction, perhaps, of being the best GM prospect who hasn't gotten his chance to run a team as of yet. He's interviewed for top jobs, and the Thunder have even gone so far as to decline permission for at least one team to interview him. Weaver is the guy who recruited Carmelo Anthony to Syracuse and purportedly led the internal charge to draft Russell Westbrook. Those are two big aces to have in your pocket.

Weaver has been in NBA front offices for more than a decade, and working for such a successful franchise that has already developed an NBA GM (Orlando's Rob Hennigan) means that his shot is surely right around the corner. Weaver's more of a scouting and relationships type, as his boss Sam Presti and others in the front office (first Hennigan and now the No. 3 guy on this list) focus on cap management. So a team hiring Weaver will want to ensure he can handle that all-important end or hire someone able to do so.

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2017/05/08/report-troy-weaver-also-a-candidate-to-lead-hawks-front-office/

Weaver has earned respect for his ability to evaluate players in totality – their talent and their personalities. His ability to connect with people offers a broad pool of players to choose from and still fit a culture.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/presents18995570/nba-front-office-prospects-watch

Troy Weaver, Oklahoma City Thunder vice president and assistant general manager
Over the past 10 years under Sam Presti, the Thunder have distinguished themselves as one of the NBA's most prolific incubators of managerial talent, with a long list of alumni scattered across the league. Even with all the departures, they've been able to regenerate, and Weaver represents another in their procession of rising stars.

Respected as one of the top personnel guys in basketball, Weaver not only has a discerning eye for raw basketball talent, but a feel for whether a player's emotional makeup conforms to the team culture the Thunder hold as sacrosanct. He's an obsessive student of the NBA history, with an understanding and love of the game. This database allows him to consider every decision in a smart context.

Weaver's expertise doesn't reside in managerial process or the capology, but those who have worked with him say he's a collaborative co-worker. He respects other disciplines such as analytics and sports science and can be trusted to hire an outstanding staff that would counterbalance.

Mike Zarren

http://basketball.realgm.com/staff/Mike-Zarren/Summary/236

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2017/01/houston_rockets_daryl_morey_bo.html

It's fair to assume Hinkie really felt the urge to offer his thoughts -- that was his first tweet since September. Interestingly, he might never have implemented the famed "Process" for the 76ers if Zarren had wanted their general manager position. Zarren reportedly turned down an offer from the team before they gave the same job to Hinkie. Based on that, it's clear Zarren hasn't exactly been "a hidden gem" in Boston. His work exploiting CBA loopholes and helping the Celtics build their current roster has not gone unnoticed around the league.

Zarren could receive interest for another general manager opening soon, but it's fair to wonder what type of offer would convince him to leave the Celtics. He's not a disconnected front-office employee who looks at his gig as just another job. His family has owned season tickets for decades, and he still sits in the crowd during games, with an old Celtics jacket he hasn't replaced in many years. Maybe one day he'll let that go for an opportunity elsewhere. Regardless, Morey and Hinkie want you to know Zarren is plenty good at his job.

https://www.sbnation.com/2014/10/1/6877405/nba-general-manager-candidates-troy-weaver-okc-thunder

5. Mike Zarren, Celtics

Danny Ainge's analytic guru has become more well known thanks to The Wheel, a lottery reform Zach Lowe has written about extensively. He was an analytics pioneer and remains someone who is close to the metrics community, which works in his favor. He also works the cap and has learned from one of the league's most respected personnel bosses in Ainge.

But the jury is out on analytic-gurus-as-GMs: the Rockets under Daryl Morey have not fulfilled their promise, and judgment will wait on Sam Hinkie's Sixers for at least another couple of seasons. Will a third analytics GM get hired with that record? I'm skeptical, though doubting Zarren is typically a bad move.

http://www.espn.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/4811/freakonomics-on-celtics-stat-whiz-mike-zarren

Vmart wrote:No names are the best way to go in NYC. Don't draw attention to the team best way to go. Any successful person will be a target because the NY media love to see them fall.