Hawks hire Travis Schlenk to be new GM

TheAtlanta Hawkshave officially hired Travis Schlenk as the team's new general manager, it was announced Thursday.

Schlenk, who will begin his role with the Hawks on June 1, is in his fifth season as assistant GM of the Golden State Warriors.Before that he was the team's director of player personnel.

"After meeting with Travis, our search committee and I knew that he was the right choice to become the new general manager and head of basketball operations for the Atlanta Hawks," Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said in a statement. "In addition to his significant experience with two organizations that have built championship cultures, he is ready to lead our basketball operations at a critical time for making big decisions as we prepare for the 2017-2018 season and beyond.

"We conducted a very thorough search process and believe Travis shares our vision for the team and the ability to implement it as we continue working hard to reach our commitment to bring a championship to Atlanta."

The Atlanta vacancy comes after coach Mike Budenholzer was stripped of his dual role as president of basketball operations and Wes Wilcox, the former GM, was assigned to a role as special adviser to ownership earlier this month.

"I am humbled by the opportunity to join the Hawks and thankful to Tony Ressler and his ownership team for trusting me with this responsibility," Schlenk said in a statement. "The passion of the ownership team was evident throughout the process, and the team's high standard aligns with organizations I've been part of and plan to emulate in Atlanta.

"I am excited to get started and look forward to collaborating with the team to build a first-class, championship-level franchise with a goal of sustained success."

Dwight Howard welcomed Schlenk to the team on Twitter.

The Hawks also had interest in former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups and Wizards senior vice president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard for the GM position.

Atlanta is entering a pivotal offseason, with All-Star forward Paul Millsap poised to become an unrestricted free agent.

Warriors president and general manager Bob Myers said he was happy for Schlenk's new post but also was sorry to see him go.

"While it's hard to see Travis leave our organization, this is a terrific opportunity for him," Myers said. "He's one of the bright, young executives in the league and someone who has played a major role in our success over the last several years. His attention to detail, leadership ability and work ethic are traits that will serve him well in his new role with the Hawks. They are fortunate to have him and will benefit greatly from his presence in the organization."

ESPN's Marc Stein contributed to this report.