The Phoenix Suns are expected to hire Matt Tellem as the new assistant general manager of the team, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A deal “is close to being finalized. Tellem is considered an outside the box thinker who will help with cap/strategy/pro personnel. Really good at 3 team deals and manipulating the cap,” Gambadoro adds.
A deal to make former Nets executive Matt Tellem the new Assistant General Manager of the Phoenix Suns is close to being finalized. Tellem is considered an outside the box thinker who will help with cap/strategy/pro personnel. Really good at 3 team deals and manipulating the cap.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 18, 2024
There was a report yesterday that Tellem was being hired into the Suns front office, but it was unclear which role he would assume.
Tellem, the son of Detroit Pistons chairman and former agent Arn Tellem, had been serving as the Vice President of Strategy for the Nets this past season.
According to his LinkedIn, Tellem started with the Nets in 2011 as a Basketball Information Coordinator until 2022. He also held the title of Director of Strategic Planning from 2018-2022, assistant general manager of the Long Island Nets from 2019-2023 and senior director of cap and strategy from 2022-23.
The Suns currently have three people listed for the role of assistant general manager behind general manager and president of basketball operations James Jones: Morgan Cato (assistant GM & VP, Basketball Operations), Trevor Bukstein (assistant general manager) and Ryan Resch (assistant GM & Vice President, Basketball Strategy). They also have an executive assistant and PC office manager in Tracy Cota.
Because of this, the Suns will be operating over the second-tax apron next season, which is projected to be $190 million.
In this threshold, Phoenix is unable to sign free agents outside of the Suns to anything other than veteran minimum contracts. In terms of trades, the Suns will not be able to take in more salary than they send out, include cash in deals, aggregate contracts or use a preexisting trade exception.
Another option for the Suns is their draft picks. The Suns will be picking 22nd overall this summer in a draft that has been heralded as one of the worst in a long time. On the day of the first round of the draft (June 26), the Suns are able to trade both the No. 22 pick as well as their 2031 first-round pick, but not before then. These are the only first-round picks until 2031 that the Suns have the immediate ability to trade.
Safe to say, the Suns need all the help they can get in trying to manage their salary cap situation and that is exactly what Tellem will bring.
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
