Pistons land versatile executive in Mincberg
‘Strategic thinker’ has filled many roles in NBA
Omari Sankofa II
Two weeks after Troy Weaver’s official introduction as the Detroit Pistons’ new GM, the organization has begun rounding out the rest of his staff.
Their first post-Weaver hire is an executive with ties to both senior adviser Ed Stefanski and Weaver: Former Bucks director of basketball strategyDavid Mincberg, who has been hired as an assistant general manager, a league source confirmed to the Free Press on Tuesday.
Mincberg is something of a jack-of-alltrades addition for Detroit, with experience in several roles for his past organizations — including his time with Stefanski in the Grizzlies organization — from scouting to analytics to salary-cap management to legal counsel. It isn’t clear what his responsibilities with the Pistons will be. But whatever they are, he’s qualified to do it.
An NBA executive who previously worked with Mincberg described him as a “strategic thinker” who’s capable of balancing all the jobs required to help a front office function.
“From an organizational, keeping-everything-on-track perspective, he understands everything,” the executive said. “He understands the cap, he’s strategic, he’s really good from a planning perspective. He understands talent. He was deeply in the weeds with overseeing our scouting group. He was the one creating the scouting schedule, building out assignments for everyone,” the executive continued. “He was out on the road himself, out there watching games, writing reports, building relationships. Having been in the room with him, debating things, he’s definitely one of the sharper minds in the room.”
Mincberg earned a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2011. By 2013, he was the Grizzlies’ team counsel. His basketball responsibilities grew and eventually he became director of scouting.
Stefanski and Mincberg worked together in Memphis from 2014, when Stefanski was hired as vice president of player personnel, until 2017.
The Bucks hired Mincberg as vice president of basketball strategy in 2017. During his time in Milwaukee, the organization transformed into an Eastern Conference power. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ascent into one of the league’s best players and Mike Budenholzer’s coaching have made the Bucks a favorite to win the championship this season. That Mincberg is leaving the Bucks mere weeks before they resume their championship quest in Orlando, Florida, is a vote of confidence for what Weaver is attempting to build in Detroit.
Despite Stefanski and Mincberg being former co-workers with the Grizzlies, Weaver is the primary reason why Mincberg is joining the Pistons, per league sources. Weaver and Mincberg, both from Washington, D.C., have a longstanding relationship.
Mincberg sees Weaver as a mentor figure, and the strength of their relationship, as well as confidence in Weaver’s ability to build and organize a team, encouraged Mincberg to leave a stable situation in Milwaukee for Detroit when Weaver reached out to him, per sources.
The Pistons are one of eight teams that will not be resuming their season in Orlando this month. But they do have a high lottery pick and potentially more than $30 million in cap space this offseason, which Weaver and his staff will attempt to use to jump-start the rebuild.
A league source told the Free Press that the Pistons will make “at least” two more hires to round out the rest of Weaver’s staff. This means the franchise will have a minimum of three executives working under Weaver, replacing the losses of assistant GMs Malik Rose (who joined the NBA in early June) and Pat Garrity (who will depart after his contract expires).
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa.
Mincberg