Vandeweghe, who served as the Nuggets' general manager from 2001-06, will help Thorn prepare for the NBA draft and evaluate players.

"Kiki has been a mainstay in the league for almost two decades, first as an All-Star player and then as a front office executive," Thorn said. "His experience in both areas will be an invaluable asset to the franchise, and we look forward to his contributions."

Vandeweghe reshaped the Nuggets during his tenure, signing free agents Andre Miller, Jon Barry, Earl Boykins and Voshon Lenard, and selecting Carmelo Anthony with the third pick in the draft. He also acquired Nene and veteran Marcus Camby in a draft-day deal from New York in 2002, a season the Nuggets improved their win total by 26 games and reached the postseason for the first time since 1995.

The following season, Vandeweghe engineered a trade with New Jersey to acquire All-Star forward Kenyon Martin.

Before joining the Nuggets, Vandeweghe spent two seasons as an assistant coach and director of player development for the Dallas Mavericks.