NBA executive Rod Thorn to retire in August

Rod Thorn, on his second run as the NBA's president of basketball operations, plans to leave the league office and retire in August, according to sources.

Thorn, 73, returned to the league office in August 2013 to oversee the league's daily operations under commissioner Adam Silver, an appointment that had been planned to be a two-year bridge to a longer-term successor, sources said.

Kiki Vandeweghe, the NBA's vice president of basketball operations, is a strong candidate to be promoted to take Thorn's job, sources said.