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Four paths for the Los Angeles Sparks general manager opening

By Howard Megdal

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: A general view of the Los Angeles Sparks logo before a game against the San Antonio Stars on June 15, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 15: A general view of the Los Angeles Sparks logo before a game against the San Antonio Stars on June 15, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES – AUGUST 31: Confetti covers the Sparks logo on the court after Game two of the 2002 WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks on August 31, 2002 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Sparks won 69-66. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 2002 WNBAE (Photo by: Scott Quintard)/WNBAE/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – AUGUST 31: Confetti covers the Sparks logo on the court after Game two of the 2002 WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks on August 31, 2002 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Sparks won 69-66. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 2002 WNBAE (Photo by: Scott Quintard)/WNBAE/Getty Images) /

What’s next for Los Angeles?

Following the firing of Penny Toler, the longtime executive for the Los Angeles Sparks, conversation around the league has run wild trying to imagine who will fill the position.

When an organization has the same voice in place for two decades, knowing what pattern the hiring process will follow is complicated. When even the head coach, Derek Fisher, was hired from a one-person of Toler’s, that makes for an even more opaque understanding of what Los Angeles’ approach might be.

Accordingly, here are a number of ways the Sparks can approach things. These are options I’ve heard around the league, though not from within the Sparks themselves. But this search can take the franchise in a number of different options. And it is a vital moment no matter how the team’s arc is viewed: the final years of Candace Parker, the peak of Nneka Ogwumike, or the emergence of Chelsea Gray as the centerpiece of any 2020 build.

Let’s take a look at some directions the Sparks can travel on this next leg of their journey.

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