Major San Antonio Spurs Executive Leaves Team

The San Antonio Spurs bid goodbye to one of their key executives who had been crucial in the team’s rebuild and development over the past few years. 

Spurs’ Director of Grassroots Scouting Charlie Stevens has left the team to become the general manager of the University of Connecticut Huskies men’s basketball program, the collegiate squad announced on Sunday. 

Stevens has spent five seasons climbing the ranks within the Spurs organization. Coinciding with those years are the team’s rebuilding seasons, which include drafting generational star Victor Wembanyama in 2023. 

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Charlie Stevens’ Rise In The Spurs Organization

In 2021, he joined the Spurs as a Basketball Operations Strategy and Scouting Assistant. Around this time, the Spurs started building a competitive roster through the NBA draft. 

He was then promoted to Player Engagement and Grassroots Scouting Coordinator in 2023, the same year they picked Wembanyama out of France in the draft. 

Last year, Stevens was elevated to the executive role of Director of Grassroots Scouting with the Spurs. San Antonio then reached the NBA Finals after dethroning the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals before losing to the eventual NBA champions New York Knicks in five games. 

Stevens, who was once an NCAA Division III player with Clark University, first served as the head video coordinator for top-tier Israeli club Ironi Nes Ziona B.C. His time in Israel gave him an understanding of the European game, allowing him to track both homegrown Israeli prospects and overseas players looking for a path back to the NBA.

With the Spurs, his role required monitoring teenage prospects playing in the FIBA Under-18 and Under-19 European Championships and numerous international tournaments, where most of the next wave of international stars are discovered.

UConn head coach Dan Hurley targeted Stevens to replace the retiring Tom Moore as the program’s general manager. Stevens was reportedly selected for his global connections, his elite eye for talent identification, and his background in managing player relationships, especially in a developmental age. 

At UConn, Stevens’ job will center on early high school recruitment, international scouting, and navigating the transfer portal, on top of other responsibilities. 

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Spurs General Manager Recounts How They Discovered Victor Wembanyama’

Victor Wembanyama has now become one of the best players on Earth. But before he was in the NBA, scouts had been raving about him, including Spurs general manager Brian Wright. 

During a Hard Knocks appearance, Wright was seen raving about Wembanyama, saying that the team’s CEO, R.C. Buford, gave him the best feedback on the French star when Wembanyama was just 16 years old. 

“Our CEO saw him when he was 16…came back from his trip and said I think I saw the greatest player I’ve ever seen in my life,” Wright said. “And literally 12 months later we put a plan in motion to turn the team over.”

Since coming to the league, he became a unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year in 2024, unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in 2026, an All-NBA First Team member (2026), and Western Conference Finals MVP (2026). He is also a two-time All-Star. 

Next season, the Wembanyama-led Spurs are expected to remain one of the top contenders for the NBA championship.

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