The Utah Jazz have officially hired Justin Zanik as assistant general manager. Justin, an economics major at Northwestern University, has worked in the athlete representation world of sports for the last 15 years. This move for the Jazz comes about one year after general manager Dennis Lindsey was hired after Kevin O’Connor assumed other responsibilities within the Jazz front office. So why an assistant GM at all and why Justin Zanik?
As mentioned above, Justin has extensive experience with player representation, most recently as an agent himself. One of Justin’s main areas of expertise is in the European market, where he has represented several successful players in their move to the NBA. With the Jazz having some success with European players like Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur and Enes Kanter, Zanik’s international experience may help continue that legacy. There is also a school of thought that international stars are more likely than American stars to feel comfortable in a small market like Salt Lake City. Having an agent in the front office brings a unique understanding of what players and their agents want to hear from the teams that are pursuing them, which is certainly something the Jazz would love to have an advantage in. Dennis Lindsey has publicly stated that one of the main reasons Justin was brought on board was due to his extensive knowledge of the financial aspect of the game, specifically the collective bargaining agreement.
But why hire Justin as assistant GM? This aggressive move signals several things. First, they wanted Justin. They didn’t go out looking for an agent to hire as part of the front office, they knew who they wanted and made an aggressive offer he couldn’t turn down. It also shows that Dennis Lindsey plans to be aggressive and creative when signing players in his pursuit of bringing the Jazz closer to an NBA title. Justin will help the Jazz get the most bang for their buck and avoid any unnecessary taxes and penalties. Finally, this is another direct sign of the changing of the guard for the Jazz. Over the past several years we have seen owner Larry H. Miller pass away, his son Greg take over, the core of the team dismantled, Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan step down, coach Tyrone Corbin hired in his place, Kevin O’connor hire Dennis Lindsey as GM, and Dennis Lindsey hire an assistant GM. Dennis Lindsey has shown he will take radical steps to help right the ship from a vessel floating aimlessly to a cruiser with a very specific destination. This direction is refreshing for a Jazz fan base that has at times been frustrated with the front office’s seeming contentment with mediocrity.
[slider_pro id=”29″]