The Hawks Have a GM: Old Sonics Boss Sund

... and just like that, the AJ-C's Sekou Smith reports Atlanta finds its replacement for Billy Knight, one Rick Sund. (Via BallHype.) Local authorities suspected the Hawks would hire Cleveland assistant GM Chris Grant, but Grant decided to stay put. Sund spent a year off the grid after Clay Bennett's Seattle bloodletting last year.

We'll remember Sund for his drafts of Robert Swift, Johan Petro, and Saer Sene in successive years. But in total, his stay with the Sonics was fairly productive. He landed Ray Allen for an angry, aging Gary Payton, signing some smart deals (Rashard Lewis, Chris Wilcox) and hired Nate McMillan. Every GM has its thorns, and Sund is no exception (Earl Watson? the aforementioned Gang of Three?). But his roses smell pretty nice, in retrospect.

Besides, even if you think Sund's the worst hire in the world, it's not like the Atlanta pot was brimming with exceptional candidates. They shot for the stars (reportedly asking Sacramento's Geoff Petrie to stop in for a chat, which was quickly refused), and ended up with someone as effective as Knight or better.

Previously on FanHouse:
No One Wants to Fill Billy Knight's Shoes