One of the most popular sports figures in Golden State history, Chris Mullin is finally set to become its head of basketball operations and will hold the title of executive vice president of basketball operations after serving two years as an assistant to general manager Gary St. Jean, whose future role with the team remains unclear. A press conference has been scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Mullin spent most of his 16 year playing career as a Warrior. He is a 5 time All-Star and was an integral part of Golden State's famous "Run TMC" trio alongside Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond, averaging 18.2ppg during his illustrious career. Chris Mullin retired during the 2000/01 season and became the assistant GM following the 2001/02 campaign.

There has been speculation that head coach Eric Mussleman will be replaced by Rod Higgins with Mullin now incharge but he refused to address Mussleman's status yesterday.

"I do feel a responsibility having spent so much time in the community and knowing the fans," said Mullin, 40, who played 13 seasons for the Warriors and was one of their all-time great players. "From this day forward the one thing I am really going to focus on is adding the right pieces to our young core, that we improve, develop and grow."

"The first thing I need to do is start evaluating and preparing for all the offseason stuff," Mullin said. "I look forward to meeting with the (coaching) staff. It's something that will be addressed at the right time. ... We have a coach. It's not something to be discussed right now."

Dallas forward Antawn Jamison will receive the Sixth Man of the Year Award, according to unnamed league sources. A press conference has been scheduled for Friday.

Traded from the Golden State Warriors in the offseason, Jamison embraced the role of being Dallas' top man off the bench, which is something he hasn't done since his rookie season while with Golden State. Jamison came off the bench in 80 of Dallas' games (started the other 2, which marked the 4th consecutive season of having played all 82 games) and averaged 14.8ppg and 6.3rpg.

Al Harrington of the Pacers, Desmond Mason of the Bucks and Manu Ginobili of the Spurs were also considered serious contenders for the Sixth Man Award.

Point guard Speedy Claxton was leaving the Arena after the Warriors' 97-91 season-ending victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, when he noticed a reporter passing by.

"They gotta keep this team together," Claxton said. "Got to."

That will be a difficult chore for Chris Mullin or Garry St. Jean or whoever is running the show for the Warriors in the coming months. St. Jean has one more year remaining on his contract, but Mullin reportedly is on the verge of taking over.

No matter who is making the decisions, he'll have a variety of options to consider when it comes to the Warriors' future. He could keep the team's core together, dismantle the whole thing or do something in between.

"I think we're a lot closer than people realize," second-year small forward Mike Dunleavy said. "Some injuries hurt us this year, and a lot of close games that could have gone our way ... changed it up a little bit throughout the course of the season. Those things, and -- who knows? -- maybe in the mid-40s with wins."

Golden State concluded their injury-wracked season with a win over Sacramento which lead to the Lakers taking over first place in the Pacific.  The Warriors, at 37-45, finished one game worse than last year's 38-44 mark, with significant changes are expected in the offseason - possibly including the firing of coach Eric Musselman and the departure of the team's two centers.

Adonal Foyle and his good friend Erick Dampier, who can opt out of his contract, figure to shop their services on the free-agent market this summer. They are the longest-tenured current Warriors, hardly an enviable distinction, and it might well be their time to find out how the winning half of the NBA lives.

Golden State has gone 172-370 in the seven seasons since taking Foyle with the eighth pick in the 1997 draft and adding Dampier in a trade with Indiana.

"I'm going to step back for a couple of weeks and think seriously about whether this is a place where I want to play the next four or five years of my career,'' said Foyle, 29, who had 10 points and 17 rebounds in the win. "That's not a decision you make lightly, because it may be the last five years of your career.''