PHOENIX — Mercury general manager Jim Pitman didn’t mince words Thursday about the demands of the role — the reason he has decided to step down from the position at season’s end to focus solely on his other job as chief financial officer for the Mercury and the NBA’s Suns.
Juggling two full-time positions, as Pitman has done for the last 10 years, isn’t a recipe for success, especially given the advancement of the WNBA and a collective bargaining agreement that has led to an abundance of movement in free agency. The Mercury and Pitman understood that and adjusted.
There’s only one team in the league that hasn’t: the Sky.
“What used to be something that I could do in addition to my other duties needs a full-time person dedicated to that job,” Pitman told reporters. “You’re seeing that around the league. In, fact, there’s only one dual coach/general manager [now] — at Chicago.”
The Sky haven’t commented on whether they’ll separate the roles of coach and GM, which are currently being filled on an interim basis by Emre Vatansever after James Wade’s abrupt departure for the NBA’s Raptors this month. Upper management has only said a decision will be made at the end of the season.
But as the Sky wait to make that decision, they risk falling behind during an upcoming free-agency period in which three-time All-Star Kahleah Copper will hit the open market, along with stars such as Storm guard Jewell Loyd and Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Wade’s resignation four games before the midpoint of the season didn’t leave the Sky in a position of overlap like the Mercury are in, with Nick U’Ren set to take over for Pitman. Instead, they’re operating under the belief that all notable GM work can be handled using the current front-office staff.
U’Ren, formerly the Warriors’ executive director of basketball operations, said the opportunity to join the Mercury before the end of the season played a part in his accepting the job because it puts him in the best position to be successful when free agency begins.
“[It] was one of the most appealing parts of the job,” U’Ren said Thursday. “I have a ton to learn. Coming from the NBA, I have a lot to learn about our team and the league. So, to be able to do it side-by-side with Jim and have him guide me, answer questions . . . this gives me a great runway to get acquainted with our team, our players, our staff [and] our league heading into the offseason.”
U’Ren’s hiring is a signal of success: creating a desirable opportunity for a developing executive to leave the NBA for the WNBA. The Sky watched as Wade did the opposite, telling the Sun-Times his decision to take an assistant-coaching position with the Raptors would further his career.
“With the ownership, their vision, what they’ve sold to me in terms of the resources we’ll have and where this thing is going, it made it an easy decision,” U’Ren said.
The Sky are outwardly touting a similar level of commitment with seven new investors, including Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts and three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade. But how they handle the GM role could show exactly how committed they are to evolving with the rest of the league.
