The Phoenix Suns are hiring the NBA's Morgan Cato to be their assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Cato will be one of the highest-ranking women in an NBA front office and the first woman of color to be an assistant GM.

Cato will report to Suns general manager James Jones and work closely with head coach Monty Williams. This work will include “the leadership and strategy related to coaching development, player engagement and front-office personnel operations,” per Woj.

Here's Woj with more on Cato's background prior to her joining the Suns:

Cato spent the past decade working for the NBA in New York under president of league operations Byron Spruell. Her roles there included several strategic initiatives that targeted the growth of the game throughout the NBA and around the world, including officiating development, the launch of the Basketball Africa League and the sport's global talent pipeline.

This seems to be a great hire by the Suns, though some will surely see it as a reaction to the NBA's investigation into the allegedly toxic workplace fostered by owner Robert Sarver during his time with the franchise. It recently came out that a longtime Suns employee sent her resignation letter to members of the ownership group with complaints about the culture within the organization.

Even so, Cato's resume is impressive and she is clearly deserving of this role. Let's hope it's a positive step for the organization and for the league in terms of bringing more diversity to the executive ranks.