Scott Layden

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Scott Layden
Personal information
Born1959
Saint Francis University
PositionGeneral manager
Coaching career1981–1988
Career history
As coach:
1981–1982Utah Jazz (talent scout)
1981–1992Utah Jazz (assistant)

Scott Layden (born 1959) is an American former general manager for the

Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, where he studied Business and Sports Management.[2] Layden was the general manager for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016 to 2020.[3]

Early career

Layden played basketball for

1998. From 1988-90 Layden was the team's director of player personnel & assistant coach, a position he held shortly before he gave up his seat as assistant coach to focus solely on being the director of player personnel. In 1992, he was given the position of director of basketball operations, where he stayed until his 1996 promotion to vice president of basketball operations.[5] He left the organization in 1999 to replace interim general manager of the New York Knicks Ed Tapscott
.

Management career

New York Knicks

Layden was the New York Knicks executive vice president and general manager from 1999 to 2001, and the president and general manager of the organization from 2001-2003.[5] The Knicks under Layden's watch (and of his successor Isiah Thomas) were called the "Worst Franchise in Sports" by ESPN.com.[6]

1999–2000

Layden took over as general manager of the Knicks after the strike-shortened,

Ron Artest
.

The new general manager of the Knicks made his first notable transaction when he signed controversial shooting guard Latrell Sprewell to a five-year, $61.9 million contract extension that would keep him in a Knick uniform through the 2003-04 season, although he would later be traded.[8] Sprewell was a highly touted basketball talent, but he ran into off court issues with his former organization the Golden State Warriors when he strangled then head coach P. J. Carlesimo during a practice. Soon after becoming a member of the Knicks, Sprewell was involved in a car crash that saw him "drive his Mercedes-Benz on a freeway from an exit lane".[9]

2000–2001

August 1, 2000, saw Layden make his second big move when he re-signed free agent

power forward Kurt Thomas
to a 3-year, $13M contract extension with a 1-year team option.

On September 20, the Knicks GM traded veteran,

all-star, and team captain center Patrick Ewing to the Seattle SuperSonics in a four-team deal that saw back-up center Chris Dudley and the Knicks 2001 first-round draft pick go to the Phoenix Suns, in return for forwards Glen Rice & Lazaro Borrell, guard Vernon Maxwell, centers Luc Longley, Travis Knight, Vladimir Stepania, a 2001 first-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers, a 2002 first-round draft pick from the Seattle SuperSonics, and two 2001 second-round draft picks. Rice played in 75 games, averaging 12 points-per-game for New York before being traded to Houston
. Knight appeared in 126 games over three seasons, averaging less than 9 minutes per-game. Longley played in 25 games for the Knicks averaging 2 points and 2.6 rebounds, while Borrell, Maxwell, & Stepania never saw action for the team. Ewing's production had decreased due to age and chronic injury over the past few seasons, and team brass felt that a deal was in the best interest of the future of the organization.

On January 30, 2001, guard

forward/center Othella Harrington. Harrington would go to play in 237 games for New York while only starting in 77.[10] Vancouver would take Jamaal Tinsley
with the 27th-pick in the draft acquired from New York.

February 22 saw guard

1987 draft
.

2001–2002

With the Knicks no longer having a first round draft pick in the 2001 NBA draft, Layden used the team's two second round picks on Michael Wright of Arizona (39th overall) and center Eric Chenowith of Kansas (43rd overall). Neither player ever saw action in the NBA.[11]

On July 23, Knicks shooting guard Allan Houston re-signed as a free agent to a 6-year, $100M guaranteed contract that would keep him in New York until the 2006-07 season, when he would be 35. The signing made Houston, who had never averaged 20-points-per-game in a season at that time, the highest-paid player in franchise history.[12] This transaction put the team "well over $80 million in payroll this season [2001]."[13] Houston retired after the 2004-05 season with chronic knee complications; there was roughly $40,000,000 left on his contract.[14]

Less than a month later, on August 10, Glen Rice was traded to the Houston Rockets and guard Muggsy Bogues to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a three-team deal in exchange for guard Howard Eisley from the Mavericks and forward Shandon Anderson from the Rockets. On paper this trade looks merely like a swap of average NBA players, but this was not the case. Eisley would end up playing in 154 games for Knicks, providing adequate numbers at the point guard position, but he was currently in the second year of a 7-year, $41 Million contract that he signed by Layden's former organization, the Utah Jazz. At the same time, Anderson, another former member of the Jazz was in the first year of a 6-year, $42 Million contract that he signed with the Rockets, which extended through the 2006-07 season. Anderson played in 245 games for the knicks over four seasons before being waived due to poor performance; he averaged less than 3 rebounds and 8 points-per-game during his stay. In comparison to the contracts New York gave up, Bogues was in the second year of a 4-year $8 Million contract with the fourth year being a team option, and Rice was under contract for three more years and $27 Million.[15] The trade proved to be a bad financial decision as the team was well over the salary cap limit.

Layden's next major move came after the unexpected resignation of head coach Jeff Van Gundy on December 8. Don Chaney was selected as an interim coach for the remainder of the 2001-02 season. After the team went 20-43 .317% under his command, he was given a contract extension for the following season.

2002–2003

The biggest move that Layden made during the 2002-03 season was completed on draft night. After selecting

double-double (at least 10 rebounds and 10 points per-game) over his last two seasons as a Knick and nearly 2 blocked shots
, along with being an integral part of New York's eastern conference title in 1999.

2003–2004

Layden's last season as the GM for the Knicks started off with the selections of

NBA action with New York, he was waived by the team after being tendered a 1-year minimum contract; currently his career spans one game with the Portland Trail Blazers
.

On July 23, 2003, Layden traded guard

New Jersey Nets 2002 eastern conference title, played in only 47 games for New York in just one season, averaging 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds-per-game.[17]

The last notable transaction that Layden made as general manager came on October 9, when he signed Dikembe Mutombo to a 2-year contract.

Scott Layden was fired on December 22, 2003, by New York Knicks owner James Dolan.

Minnesota Timberwolves

On April 20, 2016, Layden was appointed as the general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He served in an advisory role to president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau, and continued in the same role when Thibodeau was replaced by Gersson Rosas.[1] On December 9, 2020, Layden and the Timberwolves mutually parted ways after four seasons in the position.[3]

Personal life

Layden is the son of longtime Utah Jazz head coach Frank Layden.

Layden and his wife, Marsha have four daughters, three of whom are afflicted with an extremely rare congenital connective tissue disorder.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "Minnesota Timberwolves Agree to Terms with Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden". Minnesota Timberwolves. 20 April 2016.
  2. ^ "Ex-Knicks prez Layden agrees to be Jazz assistant". ESPN. Associated Press. 6 July 2005.
  3. ^ a b Krawczynski, Jon. "Sources: Timberwolves and Scott Layden part ways after 4 seasons". The Athletic. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  4. ^ Brady, Erik (December 7, 1997). "LAST LAUGH FRANK LAYDEN AND HIS SON LEARNED THEIR CRAFT IN NIAGARA FALLS. NOW THEY RUNONE OF THE NBA'S TOP FRANCHISES". Buffalo News. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Buckley, Tim (7 July 2005). "Layden a Jazzman again". Deseret News.
  6. ^ Darcy, Kieran (18 April 2006). "Worst franchise: Knicks". ESPN.
  7. ProQuest 110148607
    .
  8. ^ "Sprewell Inks $61.9 Million Deal With The Knicks". Jet. 96 (25): 49. 22 November 1999.
  9. ^ "Knicks' Sprewell To Pay $104,940 In Damages For Car Accident". Jet. 97 (21): 46. 25 October 1999.
  10. ^ Othella Harrington Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com
  11. ^ 2001 NBA Draft - Basketball-Reference.com
  12. ^ "Houston will stay with Knicks". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 8 July 2001.
  13. ^ "Knicks can't seem to make the cap fit". The Sporting News. 23 July 2001.
  14. ^ HoopsHype - NBA Salaries
  15. ^ Search Basketball Transactions Archived 2007-02-20 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Nuggets reel, then deal/ Rebuilding starts - again - with McDyess". The Gazette. Colorado Springs. 27 June 2002.
  17. ^ Keith Van Horn Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com
  18. ^ Public Face, Private Man / For Layden, Knicks' woes pale next to daughters' multiple surgeries

External links

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