Chris Wallace is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
executive and scout who is the director of scouting for the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA).
Wallace began working in the NBA in 1986, and was the general manager of the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
for ten seasons. Unlike many of his general manager peers, he has never been a player or coach in the NBA. In 2007, he joined the
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
as their general manager and vice president of basketball operations.
[GRIZZLIES: Grizzlies name Chris Wallace General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations]
/ref>
College
In 1981, while a student at the University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
, Wallace founded Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, an in-depth preseason guide, which he edited and published until 1996. His work on the publication helped him build a reputation as an expert in the field.
Beginnings in the NBA
Jon Spoelstra gave Wallace his first NBA job with the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
. Wallace was Director of Player Personnel for the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
before coming to Boston. The Heat won a franchise-record 61 games in 1996–97, and Wallace is credited with discovering many of the Heat's players. His responsibilities included college and international scouting and searching for potential talent in the Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
as well as the NBA. Wallace was promoted to that position after four years as a scout for the Heat.
Before joining the Heat, Wallace worked in various scouting capacities for the Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, and New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. He also worked as a draft consultant for the United States Basketball League
The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...
.
In Boston
Wallace was hired by the Boston Celtics in 1997, with Miami receiving a second-round draft pick to end his contract and allow him to take the new job, and became general manager for the 2000–01 season. The next season, Wallace made a trade-deadline trade with the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
of top-10 draft pick Joe Johnson for Tony Delk
Tony Lorenzo Delk (born January 28, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player and college assistant coach. He last served as an assistant coach for the New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team. During his playing days, he w ...
and Rodney Rogers
Rodney Ray Rogers (born June 20, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Early life
Rogers was the fourth and youngest child born to Willie Wardsworth ...
(among others), which would help get the Celtics to their first Eastern Conference finals in over a decade, but the trade became problematic over the long term when Johnson became a major star with Phoenix and Atlanta, while Rogers left the Celtics after Wallace failed to sign him to a contract extension. Wallace drafted Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics. He was most recently an analyst on ESPN ...
, who fell to the Celtics with the No. 10 pick in the 1998 NBA draft
The 1998 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1998, at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around four struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, the Boston Celtics, and the Tor ...
. He also traded for Vin Baker
Vincent Lamont Baker (born November 23, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He appeared in four consecutive All-Star Games. As of 2018, Baker serves as an assista ...
, who had been signed to a large contract and tied up Boston's salary cap for three years while battling alcoholism. He has been criticized for his draft history and his free-agent signings while the Celtics' GM.
In Memphis
Chris Wallace was hired to replace outgoing president Jerry West
Jerome Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is an American basketball executive and former player. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames included "Mr. Clutch", for his ability ...
for the 2007–08 season. Wallace stated in an initial press conference that his goal was to one day win a championship with the team and head coach Marc Iavaroni
Marcus John Iavaroni (born September 15, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player and former head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as an assistant coach for several ...
.
He was brought to work in Memphis just days before the 2007 draft, where the Grizzlies chose point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
Mike Conley, Jr. with the fourth pick. Iavaroni lasted for just over a year as coach before being fired.
Wallace was heavily criticized for trading away the Grizzlies' 27-year-old franchise player, Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez (, ; born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol won two NBA champion ...
, to the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
on February 1, 2008. In exchange, the Grizzlies received Kwame Brown
Kwame Hasani Brown (born March 10, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who spent 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Selected by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA draft, Brown was the first No. ...
, Javaris Critterton, a rookie second-round pick who had not yet played in the NBA (Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol Sáez (, ; born January 29, 1985) is a Spanish professional basketball player for Bàsquet Girona of the Liga ACB. The center is a two-time All-NBA Team member and a three-time NBA All-Star. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of ...
) and a pair of very low future first-round picks (Lakers' 2008 and 2010). Many fans and sports commentators believed that the Grizzlies did not receive enough talent in return for Gasol and that the deal was a salary dump. The move also puzzled some rivals. San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
head coach Gregg Popovich
Gregg Charles Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American professional basketball coach and executive who is the president and head coach of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Taking over as coach of the Spur ...
was quoted by ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' as saying "What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension. There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I would have voted no to the LA trade."
Despite the initial negative consensus regarding the Gasol trade, Wallace eventually won praise for his work rebuilding the Grizzlies' roster and making the Grizzlies contenders in the West.[Chris Wallace leader for Kings GM]
by Marc Stein, ESPN.com, June 1, 2013 In 2013, Marc Gasol was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year
The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswrite ...
.
Wallace's role with Memphis diminished after team ownership transferred from Michael Heisley
Michael E. Heisley (March 13, 1937 – April 26, 2014) was an American businessman and former majority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Biography
A computer salesman by trade, Heisley used $150,000 from selling his home and $10 million in bank lo ...
to Robert Pera
Robert J. Pera (born March 10, 1978) is the founder of Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. a global communications technology company that Pera took public in 2011. In October 2012, Pera also became the owner of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketb ...
.[ In 2012, ]John Hollinger
John Hollinger (born May 17, 1971) is the former Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and current Senior NBA columnist at The Athletic.
Prior to December 2012, he was an a ...
became Memphis' vice president of basketball operations, with Wallace remaining as general manager. During his final season as GM he made his last move by trading Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
in exchange for Jonas Valanciunas
Jonas may refer to:
Geography
* Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands
* Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States
* Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States
People with the name
* Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas
* Jonas, one of ...
, Delon Wright
Delon Reginald Wright (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Utah Utes and was a first-team all-conference ...
, C.J Miles and a 2024 second round pick - which resulted in Gasol winning his first NBA championship while Memphis missed the playoffs. On April 11, 2019, Wallace was demoted from his position as general manager to scout in the Grizzlies' restructuring due to poor results during the 2018–19 season, with assistant general manager Zach Kleiman being his replacement.
Personal life
A native of Buckhannon, West Virginia
Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,299 at the 2020 United States Census ...
, Wallace and his wife Debby have one son named Truman.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Chris
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Boston Celtics executives
Memphis Grizzlies executives
Memphis Grizzlies scouts
Miami Heat executives
National Basketball Association general managers
People from Buckhannon, West Virginia
University of Kansas alumni