DENVER -- Three summers ago, the Nuggets took a chance on "Who"?

Well, with Masai Ujiri gone, it could happen again.

Pete D'Alessandro is not a common name for basketball fans, but he was the right-hand man for Ujiri, the previous Nuggets general manager. Now he is considered a candidate to replace Ujiri.

"He's the ideal guy," NBA Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, who worked with D'Alessandro at Golden State, said by phone Saturday. "He's got the experience now and he's the whole package. He's like one of players that you don't see coming, like (the Pacers') Paul George, a star in the making. He knows his strengths, he empowers people around him. I loved working with him."

The Nuggets were stunned when Ujiri left his job Friday to become Toronto's GM, and now the front-office executives, primarily team president Josh Kroenke, are regrouping. Meanwhile, the team's scouting department continues to work in preparation for the NBA Draft on June 27.

The scouting department includes D'Alessandro, who is the vice president of basketball operations, as well as director of player personnel Mike Bratz, scout Herb Livsey and scouting coordinator DanTolzman. The Nuggets have one pick, 27th overall, in the draft.

As for D'Alessandro, he is well-respected in NBA circles for his creative statistic analysis and his grasp of the salary cap. Ujiri always spoke glowingly about D'Alessandro, his right-hand man, who was promoted in November to his VP position.


So who is this guy? He just finished his third season with the Nuggets, working closely with Kroenke and Ujiri. From 2004 to 2008, D'Alessandro worked in the Warriors' front office, where he began as the director of basketball operations and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2006.

He got his start in the game at St. John's, where he worked as a video coordinator for legendary coach Lou Carnesecca. He proceeded to get his law degree and work briefly in politics and also at a sports agency, before being hired in 2004 by Golden State.

Kroenke will consider looking at other NBA executives heading into next week. In the previous go-around, the Nuggets interviewed now-Cleveland Cavaliers assistant general manager David Griffin. It's unlikely that Kroenke, who is a major part of basketball decisions, will tab himself as the GM. He recently became the Avalanche president as well. So Denver will tab a new GM this month. And it's quite possible it could be an in-house promotion.