Clippers retain Assistant General Manager Mark Hughes
LA Clippers assistant general manager Mark Hughes will not be going to the Chicago Bulls, and will be staying with the Clippers.
Hughes was a finalist for the Chicago Bulls' general manager position, which ultimately ended up going to Philadelphia assistant general manager Marc Eversley.
For a little background on Hughes, he used to play for the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors in the 1990s. He was also the head coach of the Grand Rapid Hoops from 1997 to 2002; the Grand Rapid Hoops was a basketball team that played in the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association.
After his time in the CBA, Hughes became an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic from 2002-2004, and Sacramento Kings from 2006-2007. His assistant coaching days transformed into becoming a scout, which was Hughes' occupation for the New York Knicks during the 2007-2011 seasons. In 2011, he was promoted to the Director of Player Personnel for the Knicks. His long journey finally led him to become the assistant GM for the LA Clippers in 2017.
Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes
As evidenced by his background, Hughes brings a plethora of knowledge to the Clippers front office. The team has transformed themselves into arguably the best front office in the NBA, and it's because of components like Hughes. In fact, according to the LA Times, Hughes was "one of several Clippers executives regularly dispatched to watch Toronto Raptors games and top free agency target Kawhi Leonard in person."
Over the past season, the Clippers have lucked out when it comes to keeping their key front office members. General manager Michael Winger, assistant GM Trent Redden, Jerry West, and Doc Rivers all turned down other offers to stay with the team. While Hughes may have struck out at becoming GM for the Bulls, the Clippers found another stroke of luck by keeping him.
