DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets revamped their front office Monday by promoting interim general manager Ben Tenzer to executive vice president of basketball operations and bringing in Minnesota’s Jonathan Wallace to serve as the executive VP of basketball operations.
The announcement was made by the team days before an NBA draft where the Nuggets don't have a first-round pick. Tenzer and Wallace will try to find creative ways to build depth around a nucleus that includes three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun.
Tenzer was named interim GM in April when Josh Kroenke, the vice chairman Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, made a stunning move by firing the team's all-time winningest coach, Michael Malone, and general manager Calvin Booth with three games left in the regular season. Malone led the Nuggets to their lone NBA title in 2023.
David Adelman stepped in as interim coach and landed the full-time gig last month after steering the team in the right direction. The Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games and then took the newly crowned NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7 in the second round before bowing out of the playoffs.
“Ben did a terrific job leading the organization as the interim general manager during a challenging stretch, and it was clear during that time that he had earned the respect of our players, coaches, staff and his peers,” Josh Kroenke said in a statement. "In spending time with Jon, his leadership, quiet confidence and relationship-oriented mindset stood out and we are excited to bring such a fast-rising executive back home to Denver.”
ESPN first reported the hiring of Tenzer and Wallace.
Tenzer is entering his 17th season with the organization, the last four as the VP of basketball operations. He worked with Booth on all aspects of the game. He also was the GM of the Nuggets’ G-League affiliate the Grand Rapids Gold for the last two seasons.
Wallace rejoins the Nuggets after three seasons as the director of player personnel for the Timberwolves. In addition, he was the GM of Minnesota's G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.
Before his time in Minnesota, Wallace was a scouting coordinator for the Nuggets. He originally joined the organization as a basketball operations associate in 2019.
“We have the utmost confidence in both Ben and Jon,” owner E. Stanley Kroenke said in a statement. “They have been integral parts of our team already, so we know their dedication and hard work first-hand and we’re looking forward to their continued growth and the vision they have for this team.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Pat Graham, The Associated Press
