NEW YORK – Erie BayHawks General Manager Malik Rose has been named the 2017-18 NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year, as selected by his fellow NBA G League basketball executives.

In his first season as an NBA G League general manager, Rose oversaw a team that finished with a 28-22 record and reached the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference.  Erie, in its first season as the NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, will play host to the Lakeland Magic in a first-round, single-elimination playoff game today (3 p.m. ET, ESPNews).

Before the season, Rose hired former New York Knicks assistant coach Josh Longstaff as the BayHawks’ head coach.  Under Longstaff, Erie went 17-7 in its final 24 games and clinched the Southeast Division title on the last day of the regular season.

Rose’s player acquisitions included NBA veteran Jeremy Evans (15.3 ppg for Erie), forward Raphiael Putney (16.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg) in the ninth round of the 2017 NBA G League Expansion Draft and guard Jaylen Morris (12.6 ppg) in the second round of the 2017 NBA G League Draft.  Morris earned a GATORADE Call-Up to Atlanta on Feb. 28 and signed a multiyear contract with the team on March 21.

Under Rose’s leadership, the BayHawks helped develop Atlanta rookies Tyler Cavanaugh, Tyler Dorsey, Josh Magette and Andrew White III.  Magette, a two-way player, averaged an NBA G League-high 10.2 assists to go with 15.1 points per game during the regular season.

Rose, who is also in his third season as Basketball Operations Manager for the NBA’s Hawks, played 13 NBA seasons from 1996-2009.  Before joining Atlanta’s front office, he spent four seasons as a television analyst for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Brian Levy, General Manager of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and Craig Robinson, Vice President of Player Development and NBA G League Operations for the Westchester Knicks, were second and third in voting, respectively.

NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year Award Winners
2017-18: Malik Rose (Erie BayHawks)
2016-17: Mike Gansey (Canton Charge)
2015-16: Adam Simon (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

About the NBA G League
The NBA’s official minor league, the NBA G League prepares players, coaches, officials, trainers and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory.  Featuring 26 teams with direct affiliations with NBA franchises for the 2017-18 season, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere.  An all-time-high 44 percent of all NBA players at the end of the 2016-17 season boasted NBA G League experience.  In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA Cares programs.  NBA G League games are available on ESPN’s family of networks, Twitch, Eleven Sports and NBA TV.