The Brooklyn Nets have a difficult decision to make.
Sources told ESPN's Chris Broussard that the Nets shortened their list of GM candidates to Bryan Colangelo, Arturas Karnisovas and Sean Marks and that a decision will likely come by the end of the week.
Here's a quick look at the trio:
Colangelo: A two-time NBA executive of the year (2005, 2007), Colangelo stands out due to his experience and accolades. He served as GM for several years in both Phoenix (1994-2006) and Toronto (2006-13), producing a couple drastic turnarounds (29 to 62 wins in 2005 and 27 to 47 wins in 2007).
While Colangelo, 50, did make some mistakes -- like trading Jason Kidd for Stephon Marbury in Phoenix and drafting Andrea Bargnani No. 1 overall in Toronto -- he was also responsible for putting together the Amare Stoudemire-Shawn Marion-Steve Nash and DeMar DeRozan-Kyle Lowry-Jonas Valanciunas cores.
The Suns may not have been able to get over the hump in the mid-2000s, but their high-octane, "seven seconds or less" offensive system under Mike D'Antoni revolutionized how the game is played.
Colangelo's father, Jerry, also has a past history as a strong executive and is currently trying to turn things around in Philadelphia. Bryan would certainly bring instant credibility to Brooklyn.
Karnisovas: The 44-year-old Lithuanian, who current serves as the assistant GM for the Denver Nuggets, has amassed a strong resume -- especially on an international level.
He played at Seton Hall under P.J. Carlesimo before having success overseas on several teams -- including Olympiacos and FC Barcelona.
During his tenure in Denver, the Nuggets have been able to add international diamonds in the rough like Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic and Joffrey Lauvergne. With Brooklyn lacking draft picks, this is an important skill.
Karnisovas spoke Russian during part of his interview with the Nets, which is certainly a plus. However, he's never been a lead executive before.
Marks: Marks, 40, is currently the assistant GM of the San Antonio Spurs.
He stands out because he's had experience in the NBA as a player, coach and executive. The 6-foot-11 native of New Zealand played in 230 career games with seven different teams (1998-2011), averaging 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds.
He also served as an assistant under Gregg Popovich before moving into the front office. Marks did briefly serve as GM of San Antonio's D-League team, the Austin Toros.
The Spurs have obviously ascended to top status among NBA franchises, and the Nets (like others) would love to replicate what they've been able to accomplish.