The Hierarchy of an NBA Front Office

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men’s Basketball League in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s Professional Basketball league in the world.

The NBA front office is the decision-making body of the league, which is responsible for the overall management of an NBA team The front office is composed of the team owner, the General Manager and the Head Coach

The General Manager

The general manager (GM) is the highest ranking executive in an NBA front office They are responsible for the overall direction and management of the team. This includes player personnel decisions, coaching hires, contract negotiations, and salary cap management. They report directly to the owner or CEO of the franchise.

The GM is supported by a team of assistants who handle many of the day-to-day tasks associated with running an NBA team This includes managing the scouting department, player development analytics, and budgeting. The GM works closely with these assistants to make sure that all areas of the organization are running smoothly and efficiently.

Below the GM in the front office hierarchy are the Assistant General Managers (AGM). These executives help with a variety of tasks related to player personnel and team operations. They often have specialized roles within the front office, such as overseeing scouting or player development AGMs report directly to the GM.

Next in the hierarchy are the Vice Presidents (VP) of basketball operations These executives oversee specific areas of the franchise, such as scouting or analytics. They report directly to either the GM or AGM.

Below the VP level are Directors and Coordinators who manage specific tasks within their area of responsibility. For example, a Director of Scouting might oversee a team of scouts who travel around the country to evaluate college and professional players. A Coordinator might be responsible for managing day-to-day operations in a specific area, such as player development or video scouting. Directors and Coordinators report to their respective VP or AGM.

The Assistant General Manager

The assistant general manager (AGM) is a management position for a professional basketball team It is below the level of general manager (GM), but above other assistant positions such as director of player personnel, director of scouting, and director of college scouting.

The title of assistant general manager is not as commonly used in baseball or football, which have farm systems and scouting departments that are separate from their player personnel departments. In hockey, the title Director of Player Personnel is more common.

The Director of Player Personnel

The Director of Player Personnel is in charge of, well, the players. They are responsible for evaluating talent, both college and professional. They work with the general manager to identify areas where the team needs to improve and then find the players who can fill those roles. They also negotiate player contracts and work with the Coaching Staff on player development.

The Director of Scouting

The front office of an NBA team is responsible for the management and day-to-day operations of the team. The front office is typically composed of the owner, the general manager and the head coach Below is a description of the roles and responsibilities of the director of scouting, who reports to the general manager

The director of scouting is responsible for leading a team of scouts in identifying and evaluating talent for the NBA draft Free agency and trade opportunities. In addition to talent evaluation, the director of scouting also manages the scouting budget, oversees advance scouting of opponents, and coordinates with other members of the front office on player personnel decisions.

The Assistant Director of Scouting

The assistant director of scouting is responsible for helping the director of scouting with all aspects of the scouting process. This includes evaluating talent, managing the scouting staff, and preparing reports on players. The assistant director also works closely with the team’s general manager to ensure that all scouting activities are aligned with the team’s overall strategy.

The Head Scout

The head scout is responsible for leading the scouting department and overseeing all aspects of the department including, but not limited to, player evaluation, advance scouting of opponents, college and professional player procurement, budgeting, and scheduling. The head scout reports directly to the general manager

The Assistant Head Scout

The assistant head scout is responsible for helping the head scout with player evaluations, advance scouting of opponents, and providing input on draft strategy. He or she works closely with the front office staff to determine which players to target and helps manage the scouting department budget.

The Player Personnel Scout

Player personnel scouts are responsible for advance scouting of future opponents, as well as evaluating talent for the draft and free agency They report directly to the director of player personnel.

The Video Scout

The video scout is responsible for breaking down game film and creating reports on players. They also create player highlight reels and may contribute to scouting decisions.

The International Scout

In today’s game, the international scout is just as important as the traditional college or pro scout. With the globalization of the game, international prospects are more prevalent than ever and front offices must be prepared to find and evaluate them.

The international scout’s primary responsibility is to travel the world in search of talented players who can be signed to NBA Contracts They must have a keen eye for talent and be able to evaluate players against a very high standard. In addition to their scouting responsibilities, international scouts also often play a role in player development. They work with players once they have been signed and help them acclimate to life in the NBA.

The international scout is a key member of any NBA front office and their contributions are essential to the success of a team.