Utah Jazz: Media reports state Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor taking new position with organization

SALT LAKE CITY — Longtime Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor will relinquish his duties as GM and move to a top executive position within the franchise, according to several media reports.

The initial report came from Yahoo! Sports, which also claims, according to NBA league sources, that San Antonio assistant GM Dennis Lindsey is the top candidate to replace O'Connor and that a deal is being finalized. Also, a report by the San Antonio Express News confirmed that Lindsey will be the new Jazz GM.

Lindsey, 43, played basketball for Baylor University, graduating in 1992, and has been with the Spurs for five years. In June, Lindsey was being considered for the open general manager position for the Orlando Magic, which went to Roy Hennigan.

Prior to joining the Spurs in 2007, Lindsey spent 11 years with the Houston Rockets, where he served as vice president of basketball operations and director of player development.

Others who were reportedly targeted for the Jazz job were Cleveland assistant GM David Griffin and Oklahoma City Thunder vice president and assistant GM Troy Weaver, who formerly worked for the Jazz for four years.

The 63-year-old O'Connor became the Jazz general manager in 1999 and is currently the second-longest tenured GM in the league behind Sacramento's Geoff Petrie.

O'Connor joined the Jazz organization just after the team lost to Chicago in back-to-back NBA Finals. He is credited with re-building the Jazz through the draft, gettingplayers such as Deron Williams, Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward, through trades — Derrick Favors, Al Jefferson and most recently Mo Williams and Marvin Williams.

Efforts by the Deseret News to reach O'Connor and Jazz president Randy Rigby Monday were unsuccessful.

email: sor@desnews.com