How the Hawks Ended Up With Two College GMs on an NBA Roster

On April 1, Terance Mann approached his Hawks teammate Trae Young at practice with a few questions.

He wasn’t looking to discuss pick-and-roll coverage or free throw shooting. Instead, he wanted to talk to Young about his new job as assistant GM of men’s basketball at Oklahoma. The role had become official the day before. 

Mann attended Florida State and led the program to the 2018 Elite Eight. New Seminoles coach Luke Loucks saw Young’s new job and offered the same position to Mann, so Mann had some questions for Young. After hearing Young walk him through the gig, Mann was sold. 

“I’ll probably do it,” Mann told Young after picking his brain. 

Mann accepted the job, which gives the Hawks a unique distinction. The team leads the league with two active players also doubling as their college’s assistant GM. The Warriors have one in Stephen Curry, who got the same gig at Davidson a few weeks before Young did. And Clippers star James Harden has heavily donated to Arizona State’s collective but has no official title or role with the program. 

Hawks coach Quin Snyder has no issue with two of his rotation players working second jobs during the season. Snyder spent 11 years of his coaching career in the college ranks as an assistant at Duke and then the head coach at Missouri.

“I think it reflects those guys’ connection to their school and their experience there, and the fact that there’s a vehicle for them to be impactful and keep that connection,” Snyder told Front Office Sports. “It’s admirable in my mind. … In the case of our guys, I don’t think it detracts from anything that they’re doing in their NBA jobs. Obviously, those are still the priority.”

Mann said he’s not employed by the university—which means he’s not getting paid—but is actively doing the job while playing for the Hawks. He said he’s always been close with Loucks, a fellow former Seminole, who left his job as a Kings assistant to coach their alma mater. Mann said he’s checked the transfer portal daily and coaches have sent him film to ask for his thoughts on players they’re recruiting. He’s even in the coaches’ group text. 

When Young was named assistant GM, the announcement came with a $1 million donation to OU’s men’s basketball program, which will likely go toward paying players. Young has made $146 million in his career, while Mann has made just $28 million. But Mann said he plans to give a financial donation to FSU for its NIL (name, image, and likeness) efforts now that he’s working for the program. 

Harden and other NBA players who spoke to FOS about their NIL donations specifically said they don’t tell the coaches at their college how to do their jobs, and they trust them with their money. But Mann’s opinion—especially on player personnel—is now being actively sought.

“I’m just trying to see how they can help us win,” Mann said of his scouting efforts. “Luke kind of wants to play a pro-style game similar to the NBA. So I feel like I got a good feel on where guys can fit those roles.” 

Young said he is an employee of Oklahoma but didn’t specify whether he was getting paid. Oklahoma did not immediately comment on the details of Young’s employment. But like Mann, he’s already started the job, just 10 days after being named to the position. He’s already spoken to recruits and claims one committed to Oklahoma thanks to his efforts. (Young declined to name the player, citing NCAA rules.) 

“I’m going to be involved as much as I can,” Young told FOS after a blowout win against the Nets. “When [Sooners coach] Porter [Moser] needs me, I’m going to be right there.”

Mann said his friends in the league are “confused” by the new role. For the record, he says it entails “recruiting, help keeping the alumni close, and help with decision-making on the money aspect of things, the financial piece.” 

The Hawks have a third player who could join Mann and Young in sharpshooter Georges Niang, who previously told FOS he had given $100,000 to Iowa State’s collective since the dawn of legal NIL payments in 2021. Niang has called NIL donations “burnt money” due to how uncertain the return on investment can be, but he likes Young and Mann’s setup with their schools.

“I think that’s cool, as long as it’s beneficial for Iowa State,” Niang said. “Obviously there’s some logistics that have to get ironed out before you get titles like that. I think it’s a work in progress, but at the end of the day I’d be open to it.”

Mann can now relate to Niang’s point about “burnt money.” The job has introduced him to the Wild West of the transfer portal, which has him sounding like a grizzled old coach after seeing the asking prices for players.

“It’s very tough,” Mann said. “You have kids that average six points a game, two rebounds, and they’re asking for $500,000, $600,000. And they’re coming from a mid-major. That’s the asking price so you can’t really say anything, but … you’re not that good.”