The Philadelphia 76ers relieved Bryan Colangelo of his general manager duties back in June. Now, with a new season fast approaching, the team is still in the market for a new GM. Exactly who the Sixers have in mind to fill this vacancy remains to be seen, but according to a report from Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the spot could be filled soon.
Brett Brown said the #Sixers will have a GM before the season starts.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) September 18, 2018
Brett Brown said he can’t share who the new GM will be, but has an idea of who that person will be.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) September 18, 2018
Brown said he’s looking for a partner, a comsistent partner in the new GM.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) September 18, 2018
The Sixers have promoted several executives since Colangelo's departure, including Ned Cohen (assistant general manager), Marc Eversley (senior VP of player personnel) and Elton Brand (VP of basketball operations). Brown, who signed a three-year contract extension through the 2021-22 season earlier this year, has been serving as the franchise's interim GM.
Though the Sixers are actively searching for a new GM, they're not ruling out the interim structure that is in place now, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
“It does leave open that possibility,” Sixers managing partner Josh Harris told ESPN on Monday. “We prefer to find an elite talent who can lead us, but we aren't going to compromise.
“We have a skilled and stable staff who share the same vision under Brett,” Harris added. “We prefer to find someone, but we don't want to feel forced into compromising.”
According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers have reached out to several front-office executive, but interest in allowing an exit contract for any such candidate has been low.
“There are a very small number of elite sitting GMs, and they're generally under contract with teams for a long time,” Harris told ESPN. “Those situations tend not to change much. For us, we need someone to add real value, which includes looking at young up-and-coming basketball executives and non-traditional candidates.
“We're going to have a pretty selective list. This is not going to be huge tournament. We're going to talk to some people who aren't sitting GMs who could add value to our situation.
“What I've learned is that GM job has got many facets, and that it's a learned skill. It's certainly got a public-facing nature to it, but management and very strong relationships are important — and very few people who are not sitting GMs have all of those components. We have strengths in all those areas around our front office right now.”
Who the Sixers will hire as their next GM — if anyone at all — remains to be seen, but there is no doubt the team is exploring all options.
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