Former Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields has joined Overtime Elite as league president. The 37-year-old will oversee all competitive, developmental and operational aspects of the nine-team basketball league for 16-20 year olds.
Fields was fired by the Hawks in April after three seasons leading the franchise, including a postseason appearance in 2023. He explored other NBA front office jobs before taking the position at OTE.
“He has four unique parts to his career that impact everything we do,” Overtime CEO Dan Porter told Front Office Sports. “He was a player, so he understands that ecosystem. And he’s a young guy. He knows social media. He has a deep knowledge of college. He played four years at Stanford.”
Fields had a five-year NBA playing career before joining the front office of the San Antonio Spurs in 2016. With the Spurs, he worked as a scout and managed the team’s G League affiliate in Austin.
He was hired by the Hawks as assistant general manager in 2020 before taking over the front office in 2022. Fields is familiar with OTE alumni, having scouted Amen and Ausar Thompson while managing the Hawks. The twins skipped college to play in OTE and were selected Nos. 4 and 5 in the 2023 NBA Draft.
OTE launched in 2021 with the promise of paying teens at least $100,000 annually as a way to reach the NBA without missing a paycheck. However, the league is facing increasing competition as more money comes into college basketball through NIL deals.
Several G League and OTE alumni have recently attempted to play college basketball after initially skipping school. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NCAA President Charlie Baker recently met to discuss the eligibility issue, according to Sports Illustrated.
Fields’ family played a role in his decision because he won’t have to move his wife and three children from Atlanta. The league is in its fifth season and counts Alex Sarr, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, among its notable alumni.
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