OU Basketball: Trae Young Named Assistant General Manager for Oklahoma

Former Oklahoma basketball star Trae Young will serve as the Sooners’ assistant general manager, Young announced on ESPN’s NBA Today on Monday.

The former OU star also said he would be making a $1 million donation to the program.

“I think obviously today the game has changed,” Young said. “With NIL… I think it’s the perfect time for guys to be more involved with the schools that helped make them who they were.”

Young was selected as the fifth-overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft after playing one season in Norman.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this," Young said. "Being from Norman and playing there, this is exciting times and I’m looking forward to being in this new role.”

Trae Young has accepted a role with Oklahoma as an assistant GM for the men's basketball program, he announced on NBA Today with @malika_andrews.

Making a difference with his alma mater 👏 pic.twitter.com/FeJNFbsKZW
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 31, 2025

Current NBA star Steph Curry is also helping out his former school, as Curry was named Davidson’s assistant general manager earlier this month.

Curry is going to “provide guidance to the men’s and women’s teams” at Davidson, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. He was the first Current NBA player to serve as an assistant general manager with a college basketball program.

“For someone like Steph and me, we represent our schools off the court and in the locker room and talk trash all the time," Young said. “To be able to represent even more, it’s even more special."

Per a press release from Oklahoma, Young’s role “will include assisting with the evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects, as well as helping negotiate player contracts in accordance with NCAA and conference rules and the team’s revenue share budget. He will also assist with university fundraising initiatives to help grow support for OU's men's basketball program.”

"Trae is a son of Norman, Oklahoma, and he's given so much to our city and its people," OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said in the release. "He has a strong affinity for this place and his commitment to ensuring our community is a thriving one is truly unmatched. He's also an OU legend who, in his time here and since, continues to achieve excellence both on and off the court. With this appointment, we're taking his commitment to Norman and to OU to the next level, dedicating our mutual support together to the success of our men's basketball program. His mind is made for this game, and we're incredibly fortunate he's in our corner wanting to put his talents and innovative thinking toward strengthening our program.

“On top of that, his continued financial generosity buoys our efforts in ways few other schools can enjoy. Even as he's thriving in the NBA, he never forgets his roots. We couldn't be more appreciative of him as well as excited to work together in helping our program flourish in this new era of college athletics."

OU coach Porter Moser also outlined the impact this addition will have on the program.

"This is a really big day and incredibly exciting," Moser said in the release. "First, just a huge thank-you to Trae for the $1 million gift to our program. What an unbelievably gracious offering. It will be put to effective use as we continue on our path toward sustained high-level success. We are extraordinarily grateful for the generous contribution.

"Second, Trae's addition as assistant general manager is going to pay significant dividends for our program on multiple levels. He is a basketball junkie in so many ways. He's obviously one of the biggest and most recognizable on-court talents in the world, so he brings immediate credibility with younger players. But I can tell you that Trae also pays close attention to the national basketball landscape and is dialed in to all levels of the sport. His knowledge, coupled with his desire for our program to be the best it can be, will absolutely move us forward."

Last November, Young signed with Jordan Brand. With both Young and Oklahoma under the Jordan umbrella, it opened the door for Young to work more directly with OU basketball.

His role as assistant GM only serves to deepen those ties.

"As someone who grew up in Norman and played at the University of Oklahoma, stepping into the role of assistant GM for OU Basketball is a huge honor," Young said in the release. "This program has such a rich history, which I am fortunate to have been and continue to be a part of. In my new role, my focus is on helping contribute to OU's winning culture, working alongside the coaching staff and front office to bring in the right players to help us compete and succeed at the highest level."