Hire smart people, and eventually they may get hired away by somebody else.
Mike Zarren, who recently completed his eighth year as a member of the Boston Celtics front office, is a "serious candidate" for the Philadelphia 76ers general manager position, according to a Sports Illustrated report. Zarren, the Celtics assistant general manager and team counsel, would replace Rod Thorn, who is transitioning out of the job to take on more of a consulting role with the Sixers.
Zarren may not be a familiar name to most Celtics fans, but the Harvard Law School graduate is a valuable member of Danny Ainge's front office team. Zarren is the Celtics' salary cap expert and lead in-house counsel on both basketball and business-side issues, according to the team media guide, and he has led the organization's use of statistical analysis and developed the team's statistical database.
Losing Zarren to a division foe would be a huge loss for the Celtics, although the team is at an advantage. Zarren is a lifelong Celtics fan and season ticket holder, and began his career with the team as an unpaid intern. Working for the Sixers would mean rooting against the Celtics, which Zarren might find physically impossible.
