According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, highly respected player agent Lon Babby has emerged as a favored candidate for the vacant general manager position in Phoenix.

According to the report, Suns owner Robert Sarver has become more interested in a revamped front office structure that emphasizes non-traditional voices in addition to traditional personnel experts.

Babby -- who was a lawyer for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Orioles before going on to represent NBA players like Tim Duncan, Ray Allen, and Grant Hill -- is said to be strongly considered for this new position.

Update:

The Arizona Republic's Paul Coro states that even if Babby is hired, someone from a group of traditional GM candidates would be hired, as well.