As Kiki Sets to Depart, Thorn to Assume GM Role

[Teletopez]

Kind of strange though: It takes about three minutes of parrying just to get him to express disappointment that he won’t be allowed to finish the job he was brought in to do. After all, the heavy lifting – in the form of taking a $66 million payroll down to $26 million in just 28 months – has been done.

 

“We went through the hard part,” Vandeweghe finally conceded. “You’d like to help finish the job, of course, to be around for the good stuff. There’s no question. But it doesn’t mean I’m not going to root for them. I’m excited for them.”

 

The same thing happened in Denver, you might recall. Vandeweghe took the worst team in the league, and before he was allowed to complete it, he built the infrastructure for what became a Final Four team in 2009. That triumph was mapped by his foresight. He’s too modest to say much about it, or compare the two jobs he did well.

 

“The only thing I can say is I still root for Denver, and that I’m just as close to many of the players we have here,” Vandeweghe said.

 

“I’m very appreciative of the opportunity I had, and we had a tough task. Any time you endeavor to rebuild a team and clean the books and endure all that goes into it, it’s difficult. And we’re halfway through it now. The tough part -- the part that’s hard to go through on a daily basis – that’s done. Now the team is set up great.

 

“So I think the future is extremely bright – I really do.”

Dave D'Alessandro

 

The Nets won’t be hiring a general manager to replace Kiki Vandeweghe. Team president Rod Thorn said this morning he will take on the responsibilities.

 

“What we’re going to do is combine the presidency and the general manager,” Thorn said from Chicago where he is watching draft prospects practice.

 

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said yesterday that Vandeweghe wouldn’t have his contract renewed. Prokhorov also said he would “respect the contract,” which expires June 30. But Thorn said Vandeweghe could leave before his deal expires.

 

“I had a conversation with him,” Thorn said. “[We’re] undecided right now. We’re going to talk more about it.”

 

Vandeweghe flew to Chicago yesterday for the combine with no knowledge of what Prokhorov told reporters. Calls to Vandeweghe weren’t immediately returned.

 

Thorn said the Nets won’t necessarily hire an assistant general manager either. It’s a role that could be filled by a Russian associate of Prokhorov’s choosing at a later time.

Al Iannazzone