clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

IC Cold Links: Herb Simon Considers Reuniting Donnie Walsh And Reggie Miller In Pacers Front Office

By Tom Lewis
Getty Images

Adrian Wojnarowski catches our rapt attention again, reporting today that Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon is seriously considering bringing back Donnie Walsh to run the basketball side of things at the Fieldhouse while mentoring Reggie Miller to take the reins of the Pacers' front office (thanks for the FanPost, PMfan).

If Bird does leave, there's momentum growing for Walsh to return to the Pacers with Miller. Strong ties still bind Walsh, Simon and Miller. Within weeks of his departure from the New York Knicks, Walsh had been telling confidants he was refreshed and eager to work again. He didn't leave New York because he was tired of the job, but weary of the Garden culture. He's 70 years old, but Walsh isn't done with the NBA. He doesn't want to leave Indianapolis again, and this could be perfect for him.

Larry Bird has strongly indicated that this will be his last season, so it makes sense for Simon to begin considering the team's next leader. At first blush, it seems dicey to repeat the process that put Larry Bird in charge as team president. Bird also learned the ropes under Walsh and things went haywire along the way.

The big difference here, though, is that the team is in far better shape, not only with cap space but also the core players on the roster. While the Walsh/Bird era started with more talent, the players they had to rely on were far more volatile to put it politely and eventually all exploded in their face at some point.

If Reggie Miller has any thoughts of being a general manager or team president, he couldn't possibly pass up this opportunity. The situation is great and the Pacers are likely the only team in the league willing to hire Miller in an influential role without any other front office experience.

Meanwhile, David Morway and Kevin Pritchard are still on the job preparing the Pacers for a critical period of time following the lockout when they will have to strike quickly to improve the roster. Hopefully they'll be working to earn Simon's trust and a shot at the GM job as opposed to considering a future elsewhere knowing they won't be around.

So what do you think?

More links after the jump.

Next Up In Latest News