Suns may be looking in San Antonio for their GM opening

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After the Phoenix Suns dismissed Lance Blanks from being the team's general manager, there's been an opening and one that's likely to be filled before the NBA Draft. Banks was a member of the San Antonio Spurs' organization from 2000-2005 where he served as a scout and got promoted to director of scouting. He also served as a television analyst during his last years with the organization.

The Suns are interviewing for the open position and they may be looking for a current Spurs official to take over that job.

The Suns plan to have completed interviews with Boston assistant general manager Ryan McDonough, Milwaukee assistant GM Jeff Weltman and San Antonio Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden soon, sources said.

Layden has been a GM for the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks. After returning as an assistant coach with the Jazz, Layden was hired as San Antonio's assistant GM a year ago. For seven years in the 1990s – which included five 50-victory seasons – Layden was the Jazz's top basketball executive and won the NBA's executive of the year award for the 1994-95 season.

This shouldn't be a surprise. When a job is open, a Spurs official of any kind is always interviewing for a front office or coaching position. Teams usually try to duplicate the success the Spurs have had throughout the Duncan era by bringing pieces from the organization, which may or may not work depending on the personnel.

We'll find out soon enough if Layden gets the position to try to resurrect the Suns to their popular days when they were contenders and the move is likely to come at any time before the draft so the new general manager may have his fingerprints on the rebuilding process.

What's your opinion on teams always looking at San Antonio Spurs employees when there's a job opening, Spurs fans?