Sixers Notes: Brand, Fultz, M. Williams
The Sixers are staying in-house with their new general manager pick, as former NBA big man Elton Brand will receive a promotion to replace Bryan Colangelo. Although elevating an internal candidate may seem like a safe choice, it’s a risk for the 76ers, who are giving significant responsibility to an executive who retired as a player less than two years ago, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic and Tom Ziller of SBNation.com write. People within the organization have raved about Brand’s work ethic since he was hired, but he lacks the front office experience of virtually any other candidate the Sixers considered, Bodner notes.
Of course, Brand won’t be asked to make personnel decisions on his own, and it’s possible he won’t even have the final say on roster moves. The Sixers have talked extensively about their front office’s collaborative approach to key decisions, and as Sarah Todd of Philly.com observes, it remains to be seen what exactly the management power structure will look like. While relying on a collaborative process is fine, “collaborative won’t work forever,” according to Todd, who points out that someone will have to take responsibility for the team’s moves at some point — especially if those moves don’t pan out.
Here’s more out of Philadelphia:
- While Brand’s promotion may have come as a bit of a surprise, it was welcome news for multiple Sixers players, some of whom played with the former No. 1 pick, per Keith Pompey of Philly.com. “Since we were teammates, I have always been so impressed with EB’s work ethic and professionalism,” T.J. McConnell said. “I’m really happy for him, and I know he’ll carry those same traits into his new job.”
- Markelle Fultz remains the biggest X-factor on the 76ers’ roster entering the 2018/19 season, according to David Murphy of Philly.com, who suggests that the team could get a good idea in the coming months whether 2017’s top pick can still develop into a difference-making player.
- Monty Williams, who stepped away from coaching in 2016 after his wife Ingrid died from injuries suffered in a car accident, was hired as the Sixers’ lead assistant earlier this offseason and feels like he’s ready to return an NBA bench, as he tells Sarah Todd of Philly.com. “It’s a great time for me to get back to full-time coaching,” Williams said this week.” It was Brett [Brown], it was the team. I’ve played here before so I kind of know the culture of the city. Most importantly, my family was ready for me to get back into coaching.”
Sixers Hire Elton Brand As GM
The Sixers have promoted Elton Brand to general manager, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The team is expected to introduce Brand in his new role during a press conference on Thursday.
Brand held the role of VP of Basketball Operations while also serving as the GM of the Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, prior to landing the position. He made a strong impression on ownership and head coach Brett Brown during the interview process, winning the job over several internal and external candidates, Wojnarowski adds.
Brand, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 draft, spent 17 seasons as a player in the league, including two separate stints in Philadelphia. He signed as a free agent during the summer of 2008 and spent four years with the franchise before departing for Dallas in 2012. He re-joined the 76ers during the middle of the 2015/16 season, serving as a veteran mentor to the team’s young roster.
One of a handful of in-house candidates to receive consideration to replace Bryan Colangelo, Brand was promoted over fellow executives Ned Cohen, Marc Eversley, and Alex Rucker. The Sixers were also reportedly considering Jazz assistant GM Justin Zanik and Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, as each executive received a second interview with the club.
During a media luncheon earlier today, Brown mentioned that Philadelphia was expecting to have a GM in place before the start of season. Brown also indicated that the idea of bringing back Sam Hinkie back in his old role was never under consideration, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets.
Zanik, Rosas Receive Second Interviews For Sixers’ Post
Jazz assistant GM Justin Zanik and Rockets VP Gersson Rosas have earned second interviews for the Sixers’ GM opening, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
Philadelphia’s ownership group dined with Zanik on Sunday and will do the same with Rosas on Monday. The ownership group will also hold second interviews with internal candidates on Thursday and Friday, Pompey adds in another tweet. The news was confirmed by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Warriors assistant GM and director of player personnel Larry Harris was also recently interviewed for the vacancy, though there’s no indication if he’ll receive another interview.
Some of the internal candidates for the job who were reportedly interviewed this month include former Sixers player Elton Brand, Marc Eversley, Ned Cohen and Alex Rucker.
The organization has been operating without a GM since Bryan Colangelo departed in June amid charges of releasing sensitive information on Twitter.
The Sixers initially targeted big-name NBA GMs and presidents like Rockets GM Daryl Morey, but have since cast a wider net, focusing more on executives who would view the Philadelphia job as a promotion rather than a lateral move.
Sixers Add Four Names To GM Search
The Sixers are expanding the list of candidates for their vacant GM job and will interview four more prospects next week, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Former Sixers player Elton Brand is joined on the list by fellow team executives Marc Eversley, Ned Cohen and Alex Rucker.
Philadelphia began interviews for the opening this week after receiving permission to talk with Larry Harris of the Warriors, Gersson Rosas of the Rockets and Justin Zanik of the Jazz. The organization has been operating without a GM since Bryan Colangelo departed in June amid charges of releasing sensitive information on Twitter. Nuggets GM Arturas Karnisovas was scheduled to interview as well, but decided to decline the opportunity, Pompey adds (Twitter link).
Brand played for five teams in a 17-year NBA career, finishing up with the Sixers in 2016. He is vice president of basketball operations in Philadelphia and serves as GM for the Delaware Blue Coats, the organization’s G League affiliate. Cohen is the Sixers’ assistant GM, Eversley is senior VP of player personnel and Rucker is senior VP of analytics and strategy. All four were promoted to their current positions after Colangelo left.
Latest On Sixers’ GM Search, Front Office
11:40am: The Sixers have issued a press release officially announcing the promotions noted below.
11:17am: While the Sixers are identifying new general manager candidates to meet and interview, the team hasn’t ruled out the possibility of leaving its interim front office structure in place to start the 2018/19 season, managing partner Josh Harris tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“We prefer to find an elite talent who can lead us, but we aren’t going to compromise,” Harris said.
Sixers head coach Brett Brown has served as the team’s interim head of basketball operations since Bryan Colangelo‘s ouster in June, but several members of Philadelphia’s front office besides Brown have been very involved in personnel decisions during the offseason.
Those key voices include Ned Cohen, Marc Eversley, and Elton Brand, all of whom are receiving promotions, Wojnarowski reports. Cohen will become an assistant general manager, Eversley will be the senior VP of player personnel, and Brand will be named the VP of basketball operations. Alex Rucker will also receive a promotion, according to Wojnarowski, who says Rucker will become the 76ers’ senior VP of analytics and strategy.
According to Wojnarowski, after initially targeting top general managers around the NBA – such as Daryl Morey of the Rockets – the Sixers have been gathering information on up-and-coming candidates in recent weeks. In other words, the new pool of contenders figures to include execs who would be more readily willing to make the move to Philadelphia.
Reports have indicated that the Sixers aren’t necessarily looking for a new general manager who will make all the final decisions on his own, but rather a candidate who is willing to collaborate with those existing voices in the front office on personnel moves. While Harris would love to find that executive as soon as possible and doesn’t want Brown to hang onto the head of basketball operations title for the long term, he tells Wojnarowski that the club is very comfortable with the current management group.
“I think we have one of the best, if not the best, situation in the NBA – particularly for the leader of a front office,” Harris said. “We have great young players, lots of cap space and stable ownership willing to invest and spend in the team. We’re going to be patient and try to find the right person. The next year is going to be incredibly important for us, and we have a real desire to find the right person now – but if not, we are incredibly comfortable with the existing staff and we’ll move forward from there.”
Elton Brand Talks New Role, Embiid, Sixers
Elton Brand, who recently accepted the position of GM of the Delaware 87ers, spent most of last season as a player development consultant for the Sixers. He was able to work closely with upper management during the pre-draft combine process and through that experience, he realized where he wanted to be during his post-playing career.
“Being in those high-level meetings with Josh Harris, David Blitzer and Bryan Colangelo really piqued my interest,” Brand said (via Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet). “I like this, I could really work basketball instead of playing it.”
Brand sought out the advice of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Sixers special advisor Jerry Colangelo among others to prepare for the role. He knows it will be a different kind of challenge than the ones he faced during his playing career.
“It’s a totally different mindset and a totally different type of energy,” he said. “I’m discussing players and trades and the business side of it. I was exhausted yesterday. Basketball is one thing, but it was a different kind of tired. I’m looking forward to growing in that aspect.”
Brand started the 2016/17 campaign as a player in Philadelphia before easing into his former front office role. He’s familiar with the organization and he plans on implementing the same offense and defensive schemes as coach Brett Brown. Such familiarity will be even more crucial as players on the newly designed two-way deals shuffle between the NBA and the G-League.
The Duke product added that he will miss being around his former Sixers teammates. Brand spent time with Joel Embiid, who is a candidate for an extension, this summer and he told reporters at his press conference that the Cameroon native has been “working his butt off.”
The Sixers are expected by many to take a leap forward and some optimistic fans believe the team could make the postseason for the first time since the 2011/12 campaign. Brand cautions that the team is still young and inexperienced, but believes the hype surrounding the team is warranted.
“It’s going to be a process that we will trust.” Brand said. “But it’s going to get there. We’re going to get there for sure.”
Sixers Name Elton Brand GM Of G League Team
The Sixers have formally named longtime NBA big man Elton Brand as the new general manager of their G League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. The move to hire Brand as the Delaware 87ers’ GM was reported earlier today by Shams Charania of The Vertical.
“We are thrilled that Elton has agreed to take on the GM position of the Sevens, a natural next step given both his personal and professional skillset,” Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said in a statement. “The transition from a terrific playing career to team management was something that we have been talking about for some time and this opportunity is both timely and appropriate. I look forward to working side-by-side with Elton as we continue to grow and develop our overall basketball program.”
Brand, who announced his retirement as a player last fall, finished his career with the Sixers and then stepped into a front office role with the team during the 2016/17 season. The former No. 1 overall pick joined the 76ers as a player development consultant last December.
NBA teams have used G League affiliates for years to develop young players and coaches, and are increasingly taking advantage of those G League squads to mold young executives as well. While Brand enjoyed a successful 17-year run as an NBA player, he remains fairly inexperienced as an executive. However, if he does well with the Sevens, he could take on a larger role in the Sixers’ basketball operations department within the next few years.
Sixers Notes: Brand, Simmons, Summer Moves
The Sixers are expected to hire former player Elton Brand as the GM of their G-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. Brand has served as a development consultant for the franchise, Charania adds. Brand would fill the vacancy left by the departure of Brandon Williams, who was hired by the Kings late last month as their assistant GM. Brand played for the Sixers from 2008-12, then rejoined them for the final 17 games of his career during the 2015/16 season.
In other news involving the club:
- Ben Simmons says he’s “ready to go” for training camp after recovering from the foot injury that prevented him from playing last season, he told Roy Ward of The Age. Simmons said he’s eager to prove himself after his rookie season was delayed by the surgery. “A lot of people maybe doubt me now but I’m ready to come back stronger and get to work,” he vowed to Ward. Simmons has been medically cleared for all basketball activities. He ran a basketball camp in Melbourne, Australia last week but flew back to Philadelphia on Monday to prepare for training camp, Ward continues. The Sixers sent two coaches to Melbourne to work with Simmons, including a shooting coach, but the point forward isn’t concerned about his jumper. “My shot has always been fine,” he insisted to Ward.
- The Sixers sent a message to their players and fans that they’re finally serious about winning when they traded up for the top pick in the draft, Shaun Powell of NBA.com notes in his offseason recap. The Sixers could have just taken the best available player at the No. 3 spot but GM Bryan Colangelo made a bold move by trading up for point guard Markelle Fultz, Powell continues. The Sixers now have solid building blocks with Joel Embiid, Simmons, Fultz and Robert Covington but still have to figure out what to do with Jahlil Okafor, Powell adds.
Sixers To Hire Elton Brand As Player Development Consultant
The Sixers have reached an agreement to add Elton Brand to their basketball operations department, the team announced today in a press release. According to the announcement, Brand will serve as a player development consultant for the franchise, and will be “heavily involved in assisting the players in every facet of their on- and off-court development.”
“We are extremely excited to bring Elton Brand back into the organization where he will be a valuable resource to our young and developing team,” Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said in a statement. “Elton’s leadership and character displayed throughout his playing career as a player align perfectly with our vision, direction and culture of this basketball team, coaching staff and management group.”
Brand, who announced his retirement this fall, originally appeared poised to snag one of the Sixers’ 15 regular-season roster spots. In that role, he likely would’ve served primarily as a mentor who didn’t see a whole lot of playing time, so by hiring him in a player development role, Philadelphia keeps Brand in the fold without having him on the active roster.
[RELATED: Elton Brand announces retirement]
The No. 1 overall pick by the Bulls in the 1999 draft, Brand averaged over 20 points per game in his rookie season, then reached that mark in five more seasons over the course of his career. A two-time All-Star with the Clippers, Brand spent time in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Atlanta during his 17-year career, finishing with averages of 15.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.7 BPG in 1,058 total regular season contests.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote back in October that the Sixers had approached Brand about the possibility of a front office job, adding that the longtime NBA big man hadn’t ruled out the possibility at that time.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Brand, Rodriguez
The final game of the preseason Friday was the first time Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor appeared in the same game for the Sixers, and while coach Brett Brown is open to the idea of using both simultaneously, it will likely take time for that to happen, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com writes. The two big men have often been subject of trade rumors because they present a surplus of the same thing. The two players are also coming off of injuries and their limitations are the reason why they likely won’t be able to share the court early on, Seltzer writes.
Here is more out of Philadelphia:
- The Sixers have approached Elton Brand about accepting a front-office position and he has not ruled out the possibility of taking the job, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. It was a formality move when the Sixers announced they waived Brand Sunday because he had already announced his retirement.
- The team has yet to decide on a starting point guard for the season opener, but Sergio Rodriguez was in action with the starting unit during practice, Pompey tweets.
- With Rodriguez the likely starter and with a few notable injuries, the Sixers are reportedly interested in acquiring guard Tyus Jones, but Pompey writes in a separate story that the veteran is a backup at best and would not necessarily solve Philadelphia’s issues.