The Golden State Warriors promoted Mike Dunleavy Jr. to assistant general manager Thursday and added former player Zaza Pachulia as a team consultant.
Dunleavy, a Warrior from 2002 to 2007 and a veteran of 15 seasons in the league, has worked for the past year as a scout for the team. Dunleavy, the son of former head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., also played for the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.
“As I was winding down my career, I knew I wanted to stay in the game,” Dunleavy said last year. “I knew I didn’t want to do media. Everybody always asks me if I want to coach, expecting me to say yes because my dad coaches, my brother coaches. I just always had more of an interest in this side of it, the front-office side.
“For me, it’s not much of a change from just watching games. I’m always evaluating, whether it’s opponents or rookies. So it’s somewhat natural for me.”
Pachulia, 35, won titles with the Warriors as a member of the 2017 and 2018 teams. His role, the Warriors said, will include consulting on both the basketball and the business sides of the operation.
A 15-year veteran known for his toughness and leadership, Pachulia spent last season with the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.3 minutes over 1,098 career games.
“Zaza was such an important part of our foundation,” Steve Kerr said earlier this year. “He was a key player for us, with his screening and his size and his physicality, but he was also a key human being for us because he was a leader. He was funny, he was hard working, humble — everything you want in a player, that’s Zaza.”
The Warriors also announced promotions for Kirk Lacob and Kent Lacob, both sons of the team’s owner, Joe Lacob.
Kirk Lacob was promoted from assistant general manager to executive vice president, basketball operations.
Kent Lacob, who spent the previous three seasons as general manager of the Santa Cruz Warriors, was named director of team development.