If Sonics won't pick a new GM, then I will

For worse or better, for poorer or richer, 'til relocation do us part, the backward Sonics are close to committing to a general manager.

It looks like team chairman Clay Bennett empowered president Lenny Wilkens with only enough cash to hire a rookie. So after all the grand daydreaming — remember my "Hire Jerry West" column? How foolish! — let's now endorse a candidate based on the situation's reality.

And the best of a boyish bunch is the youngest candidate of them all.

Sam Presti.

Hire 30-year-old Sam Presti.

Give the San Antonio Spurs' whiz kid enough control so he'll come. Give him temporary housing so he doesn't have to worry about a possible move. Give him a parrot that squawks "No comment" whenever reporters come around, as that is the Sonics' way.

Whatever it takes, just get him to Seattle.

This process has taken too long. The Sonics demoted GM Rick Sund and dismissed coach Bob Hill six weeks ago. It's time to make a decision. This past week, Wilkens said he expects to have a GM in place before the June 28 draft. He also said he has condensed his list. It's time.

The serious candidates are believed to be Presti, Detroit's Tony Ronzone and John Hammond, Atlanta's Gary Fitzsimmons and Portland's John Gabriel.

Of that group, only Gabriel has been the king of a basketball operations department. He was the NBA executive of the year seven years ago, but he suffered the same fate as Sund in 2003 after the Orlando Magic fell apart. He's considered the least likely to get the Sonics job.

So that leaves four. Mark out Ronzone because, if you're choosing between the two Pistons, Hammond has the edge. Mark out Fitzsimmons because surely the Sonics won't be so foolish they hire an assistant general manager from the lowly Hawks. Surely not. Unless Wilkens wants to have total control, and he keeps saying he doesn't.

We now have a final two, and a very good final two, if Seattle can sell one of them on the job. Presti or Hammond? Presti should get the nod for one primary reason: He gives the Sonics the best opportunity to do more with less.

No matter what Bennett says, the truth is he's crunching numbers while building this organization. He doesn't want to spend much money, at least not right now. However, he says he wants to win. That will take some of the most creative financing ever known to sports.

Presti can help in this area. He could turn into the Theo Epstein of the NBA. Epstein, the Boston Red Sox general manger, is a young guy equipped with a big budget, but he's known for taking a scholarly approach to team building.

That is how Presti has helped the Spurs. He has risen from intern to assistant GM in seven years. He created a scouting database that several NBA teams mimic. He played a key role in convincing the Spurs to draft Tony Parker six years ago; Presti was 24 then, by the way. He also gets credit for two other international players on the Spurs' roster, Fabricio Oberto and Beno Udrih, who have proven to be solid pros.

Ultimately, you have to spend good money to win big, but you don't have to throw away money like the New York Knicks do. Presti can help improve the Sonics' talent level simply by the attention he pays to picks late in the draft and to players overseas.

The Spurs are the NBA's best organization, and poaching from them is a good idea. In fact, Bennett's fascination with San Antonio is his most redeeming quality.

It won't be an easy sell for the Sonics, however. We've heard how the Sonics are a little scared of his age. But Presti isn't desperate to be the big boss, a source said.

Presti is behind Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford in the Spurs' chain of command, but he also has received four promotions in seven years. He won't leave for a bad situation. And he doesn't want to be a glorified assistant GM with a heavier title. He wants significant influence.

The Sonics failed to pursue Kiki Vandeweghe properly. He would've been a good fit because he's unafraid to make bold decisions, and while in Denver, Vandeweghe turned a dreadful team into a contender.

Vandeweghe would've been a safer pick, but Presti would provide some hope for the franchise. If the Sonics allow Presti to be great, he will be great.

The first step is to make an offer, a good one, not a cheap one. The second step is to massage Presti's concerns. The last step is to schedule a news conference, let the 30-year-old grin his youthful grin and signal that, after all this time, after a confusing process, the front office is intact again.

Hand it over to the kid. It'll take childlike enthusiasm to fix this franchise.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com. For more columns and the Extra Points blog, visit seattletimes.com/sports