Mike Zarren was "the leading vote-getter by a wide margin" when Kevin Arnovitz polled people in the NBA for future general manager candidates.

Zarren has worked for the Boston Celtics for the past decade, beginning as an unpaid intern after graduating from Harvard Law.

Zarren has received interest from a number of teams, most notably the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013 before they hired Sam Hinkie.

Zarren has a strong understanding of the collective bargaining agreement and is considered a good negotiator.