Report: New Seattle SuperSonics Could Target Larry Bird, Celtics Assistant General Manager Ryan McDonough to Run Basketball Operations

by Ben Watanabe on Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 4:00PM

The “new” SuperSonics could look east if the other NBA owners approve the franchise’s move from Sacramento to Seattle, as expected.

Celtics legend Larry Bird, who retired last year as the only person to win the Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year awards, is at the top of the new Seattle franchise’s wish list to run its basketball operations, reports Yahoo! Sports. Also high on the list is R.C. Buford, the respected general manager of the San Antonio Spurs.

If Seattle was unsuccessful in luring either of those big names — Buford, in particular, would figure to need an extremely enticing offer to pull him away from San Antonio — the Sonics could target another executive with Celtics ties. Ryan McDonough, who is in his second season as an assistant general manager for the Celtics, could also be a candidate due to his “strong player personnel background,” according to the report.