Eastern Notes: Sixers, Nelson, Giannis, Wizards, Nets

After Marc Stein reported that Sixers assistant general manager Jameer Nelson is a candidate for an “expanded role” following Daryl Morey‘s exit and Jake Fischer confirmed that Nelson has many supporters within the organization, Tony Jones of The Athletic hears from multiple league sources that the former NBA point guard is a legitimate candidate to become the next president of basketball operations in Philadelphia.

Nelson is the strongest internal candidate in the Sixers’ front office search, and even if he doesn’t take Morey’s spot atop the basketball operations department, he appears likely to receive a promotion, league sources tell Jones.

Although Nelson was technically third in the 76ers’ front office hierarchy under Morey and GM Elton Brand this past season, he had more responsibilities than a “typical” No. 3, Jones explains, adding that Nelson is viewed as a rising star and is expected to get an opportunity to run a team sooner or later, even if he doesn’t happen this offseason.

Brand also confirms several previously reported details related to the Sixers’ search for Morey’s successor, writing that Mike Gansey, Nick U’Ren, Trent Redden, and Matt Lloyd are considered candidates and noting that Atlanta denied Philadelphia’s request to speak to Hawks GM Onsi Saleh last week.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

• Appearing earlier this week on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that while he hasn’t explicitly requested a trade, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has “believed for a period of months” that a deal sending him to a new team is ultimately in both his and the Bucks’ best interests. “Giannis’s stance has not changed from what I’ve reported over the last several months,” Charania said.
• Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears and Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder were among the prospects in for a pre-draft workout with the Wizards this week, tweets Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Washington controls two of the last 10 picks in this year’s draft, at No. 51 and No. 60, while Fears currently ranks 67th on ESPN’s big board and Suder comes in at 101st.
• The Nets took point guards with their first two picks in the 2025 draft, but Arkansas’ Darius Acuff could still make sense for Brooklyn with this year’s No. 6 overall pick, writes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Neither Egor Demin nor Nolan Traore made an All-Rookie team, and while there are concerns about Acuff’s size and defense, he offers star potential as a scorer.