Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant made a quick request of NBA front offices upon learning that former center Nazr Mohammed is being considered as a candidate for a role in the Chicago Bulls' revamped front office.

The message was simple: hire more former players in NBA front offices.

Mohammed, who played for the Bulls during three of his last four seasons in the league, has also worked under Oklahoma City Thunder president Sam Presti, learning the tricks of the trade.

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A Chicago native in his own right, Mohammed played for eight teams during his 18-year career in the league and has a deep understanding of how franchises work. He was a teammate of Durant's in OKC, so the Nets star knows Mohammed's acumen.

The Bulls faced some criticism for a lack of diversity during their front-office search, with Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster and Thunder vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver the only known non-white men on the list. Neither man interviewed for the job.

New executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is reportedly planning to hire a minority candidate for the role of GM. Mohammed fits that mold as an African American and fits Durant's criteria as a former NBA player. Yet the Bulls must prioritize the right fit and vision above all.

They hired a former player in John Paxson (2003-09) as a general manager and promoted him to executive vice president of basketball operations after that — a decision that didn't pan out all that well for them in the past few years.