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Nets hire Hawks’ Jeff Peterson as assistant GM

By Net Income
Atlanta Hawks

The Brooklyn Nets have named Jeff Peterson, assistant general manager of the Hawks, to the same job in Brooklyn.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff and his wife, Lauren, to Brooklyn,” said Sean Marks. “Jeff is an innovative basketball executive who shares our strategic team building vision and will fit seamlessly within our culture. His extensive scouting and front office experience will be tremendous assets to our group as we continue to move forward.”

Hawks GM Travis Schlenk wished Peterson well.

“Jeff grew into a key member of our basketball operations team over his seven years in Atlanta and we are appreciative of all of his work during his time here. We wish him and his wife Lauren the best moving forward.”

Peterson turned 30 in January. Trajan Langdon, who had been assistant GM for three years, left the Nets last week to become general manager of the Pelicans under David Griffin. While Langdon is GM, Griffin is New Orleans executive vice president of basketball operations.

Shams Charania broke the news which was almost immediately confirmed by the Nets.

Peterson comes to Brooklyn from Atlanta, where he spent seven seasons as a member of the Hawks front office, including the last three as assistant general manager. Peterson was supervising draft workouts for the Hawks as recently as last week. He is also among the NBA’s highest ranking African-American executives. Critics have charged that there isn’t enough diversity in NBA front offices.

Peterson is the first of several hires and promotions expected this off-season. The Nets must replenish their front office and coaching staff. In addition to Langdon, the Nets have lost assistant coach Chris Fleming to Chicago, where he’s become lead assistant; Long Island Nets head coach Will Weaver who’s become head coach of the Sydney Kings in Australia’s NBL, and director of global scouting Gianluca Pascucci who has joined the Minnesota Timberwolves as assistant GM.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Nets contacted the Hawks about Peterson shortly after Langdon told them he was leaving.

He began his career in Atlanta in 2012 after being hired as a seasonal basketball operations assistant. Following one season as a seasonal assistant, Peterson was promoted to coordinator of basketball operations and was then named as the team’s director of scouting in 2015. Originally from Springfield, MO, Peterson played basketball collegiately at the University of Iowa and University of Arkansas before finishing his career at Florida State University, where he also earned his Master’s degree.

Peterson’s Atlanta tenure overlapped with those of Kenny Atkinson, assistant coach Jordan Ott and DeMarre Carroll. Atkinson was assistant coach of the Hawks from 2012 through 2016 when he joined the Nets. Ott was video coordinator from 2013 through 2016. Carroll played two seasons for Atlanta between 2013 and 2015. Peterson also served as an assistant coach on the German National Team under Fleming.

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