Trent Redden ’06

An enterprising athlete with a track record for success, Trent D. Redden ’06 translated his love of sports into a prolific career.

Born and raised in Sacramento, California, Redden first came to SMU in 2002 to pursue his bachelor’s degrees in accounting and public policy. He was being recruited to play Division II basketball but had no full offers when he was invited to interview to be a President’s Scholar at SMU.

“When I visited for the interview weekend, it was the first time I had been to campus, and immediately knew I wanted to attend,” he says. “When they called to offer the scholarship, it was a shock – I had kept my emotions in check, but they made the choice easy for me.”

He made the most of his time at SMU, playing basketball from 2003–2004, serving as a resident assistant from 2003–2005, pledging Delta Sigma Pi and winning eight intramural championships in basketball, volleyball, flag football and softball.

Redden went so far as to gain work experience with SMU Athletics and SMU Intramurals by acting as the stat phone operator, shot clock operator, football team monitor and intramural referee for basketball, football and soccer.

From 2004–2006, he interned at Haynes & Boone LLP and served as the sole student member of the Athletic Advisory Committee to the Board of Trustees, which he counts as one of his most significant memories at SMU. He graduated magna cum laude in 2006.

“SMU bet on me to a level no one else did with the full scholarship through the President’s Scholars Program,” he says. “I loved the campus when I visited for the first time to interview, but if it weren’t for the scholarship and the generosity of John and Debbie Tolleson, I wouldn’t have attended.”

He counts beating Texas Tech University in 2003 and giving speeches at Tate Lecture Series dinners and the 2006 President’s Scholars dinner among his favorite moments at SMU.

Redden spent 11 years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, starting as an intern and eventually working up to basketball operations manager, director of college player personnel, assistant general manager and, finally, senior vice president of basketball operations. During his time as the assistant general manager and executive vice president, the Cavaliers won their first NBA championship in franchise history in 2016. Throughout his tenure, the team also won four NBA Eastern Conference championships in 2007, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Later, he made the career move to the Los Angeles Clippers as the assistant general manager in 2018–2019 before being promoted to general manager in 2023, where he oversees scouting, strategy, team operations and building operations. In 2021, he witnessed the team reach their first Western Conference Finals in franchise history.

Redden is son to Kelly Forward and Greg Redden and brother to Scott Redden and Kate Mewes.