Atlantic Notes: Brown, Brunson, Knicks, Nets
Sometimes an executive who takes over a team’s front office has to wait until the right moment to reshape his roster. That wasn’t the case for Mike Gansey, who took a big swing in his first offseason on the job with the Sixers by trading for Jaylen Brown.
Gansey said that he would have “never envisioned” that his first months as the president of basketball operations in Philadelphia would play out this way, Gina Mizell writes for the Philly Inquirer. He decided to lean into a simple principle he learned during his time with the Cavaliers: just make the call and see what happens.
“It’s kind of like, ‘Let’s check in with Boston and see if there’s anything there,’” Gansey said. “Maybe there isn’t. But you just make that call, and they don’t say no. … It just kept going on, and they would call us, we would call them. You just keep having conversations. Next thing you know, we’re in L.A. [for free agency], and it was getting close and [feeling like] this might actually happen … That’s why, this business, you can plan all you want and prepare, but you just don’t know. Things happen.”
The Sixers now have three high-level offensive weapons in Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid, all of whom will need to sacrifice some of the usage they enjoyed last year in order to accommodate each other, Tony Jones and Jay King write for The Athletic.
Their ceiling still depends on Embiid’s ability to stay healthy deep into the playoffs, which has historically been tough to bet on, but if everything goes right, the Sixers have a real chance to be a contender in 2026/27, according to Jones and King.
Here’s more news and notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- Word broke recently that Jalen Brunson had undergone a procedure to address a wrist injury that had bothered him throughout the Knicks‘ championship run. On Wednesday, Brunson stated during an ESPN Radio appearance that the injury occurred during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers, Zach Braziller relays for the New York Post. “There wasn’t a play I remember it happening,” Brunson said. “I just remember being at the free throw line in the third or fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. My wrist was starting to feel weak. I was like, ‘Where is this coming from?’ From that point on, I was trying to figure out what was going on, and how I can push through, because I wasn’t going to get anything done during that time.” He said that the realization that he’d need surgery put a slight damper on the magic of the championship summer, but it was a small price to pay.
- The league is still waiting to see where LeBron James will end up, with a decision said to be coming in the near future. The Knicks aren’t believed to be in the running for James, but they could still be significantly impacted by his choice, according to Kristian Winfield of the Daily News. Three of the teams still reportedly in the mix are the Cavaliers, Sixers, and Heat, all of whom are jockeying to take New York down from within the Eastern Conference. While Winfield notes that both Cleveland and Philadelphia would be dangerous if they were to add the four-time MVP, he believes that if James goes to Miami, it could significantly shift the dynamics of the East and give the Heat a leg up on the Knicks in the conference’s power rankings.
- Tuesday’s Summer League win over Sacramento provided a glimpse of the identity the Nets are trying to form, C.J. Holmes writes for the New York Daily News. “I think the big difference was our energy and effort defensively,” Summer League coach Dutch Gaitley said. “I mean, we forced 28 turnovers. They weren’t able to get — we had 30 fast-break points. They weren’t able to get anything going to start the game.” Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Demin gave an intriguing preview of the future of Brooklyn’s backcourt, and Brown impressed Gaitley by requesting the defensive assignment on fellow rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. Acuff was able to score 26 points, but Brown’s mentality in wanting the challenge still stood out to his coach.
Sixers Stars Leading Recruitment of LeBron James
Where LeBron James will end up in free agency remains one of the last remaining major questions of the offseason. There have been reports that the 22-time All-Star is nearing his decision, with five or six teams still in play.
One of those teams, the Sixers, appears to be utilizing its on-court star power to attempt to lure the superstar to Philadelphia. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that the Sixers’ three stars – Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid – have been in touch with James, with Maxey serving as the primary recruiter.
Maxey, like James, is represented by Klutch Sports, and he and James have had offseason workouts together multiple times over the last few years. Maxey has even gone so far as to refer to James as a “big brother.”
James and Embiid won a gold medal together playing with Team USA, while Brown and James have a long history of competing against one another in the playoffs.
Bob Myers, president of the Sixers’ parent company, recently went on Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul‘s podcast in order to pitch Philadelphia as a landing spot, while new team president Mike Gansey said that the team has been in touch with Paul throughout the offseason.
“We’ve had conversations with Rich, really, since the Jaylen trade,” Gansey told Tony Jones of The Athletic. “LeBron and his camp have kept quiet, and there has been speculation for different teams. But we’d obviously love to have LeBron.
“… I think his decision is dragging out because he has a lot of good options and he wants to figure it out. He would obviously add a lot to our team. But at the end of the day, I know he’s going to make the right decision for him and his family.”
Gansey has a longstanding relationship with the four-time champion. Not only was he a fixture of the Cavaliers front office when James led them to a championship in 2016, but he also played with James on an all-state team in Ohio over two decades ago.
James has previously indicated that his decision will come down to a combination of on-court fit, winning situation, and quality of life.
Sixers Notes: Nurse, Brown, Gansey, Wade, Embiid
After years of battling against Jaylen Brown, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse is looking forward to having the former Celtics star on his side, writes Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. Nurse discussed the challenges of preparing for Brown and noted that it has become harder to game plan against him in recent years because he keeps improving.
“I think he’s super competitive,” Nurse said. “I think he’s won a lot. Obviously, he won a title. Finals MVP. I think he’s a two-way player. I think he’s versatile. Yeah, I think he’s right there, sitting in his prime. So I think it’s amazing that he’s going to be a Sixer.”
Philadelphia now has an abundance of offensive talent with Brown joining Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, but they tend to be high-usage players and it will be up to Nurse and his staff to make things work efficiently. Nurse sees it as a problem that he’s had to solve before.
“I mean, it’s probably a similar question that you’d have a year ago when we were healthy, right?” he said. “And I mean you guys are there every day, and you know we go through some little ups and downs of trying to get that figured out, and I think mostly the challenge comes is it changes. So, it’s been changing so much all the time. Like, there’s some nights where, I don’t know, let’s say VJ is a fourth option, and there’s nights when he’s the first option or separate, or whatever.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- President of basketball operations Mike Gansey also discussed the Brown trade during a recent appearance on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia (YouTube link). Gansey explained that his pursuit started with a phone call to the Celtics to check on Brown’s availability after hearing rumors that he was on the market. “We kept talking to Boston for a couple weeks,” Gansey said. “Didn’t know if anything would really happen but kept talking to them and talking to them. Next thing you know, they wanted to do a deal. That’s kind of how it happened. It kind of came out of nowhere a little bit but kind of kept the conversation going. We got lucky and are excited to have Jaylen.”
- Dean Wade, who joined the Sixers in free agency after spending the past seven years in Cleveland, believes he’s a perfect fit with his new team, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). A defensive specialist at power forward, Wade should fill a valuable role on a team loaded with offense. “I’ve got to play with that little chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I love that competitive spirit, where it’s just whose will is going to outlast whose? That’s where I enjoy the defensive part of it. … You don’t want to let any of your teammates down. You know how important you are on the defensive end, and you’ve got to do your job so everyone else can do their job.”
- In the wake of the Sixers’ offseason moves, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) recommends trying to trade Embiid. He admits that Embiid’s contract might be the toughest in the league to move with three years and $187.9MM remaining, but wonders if the Mavericks might be interested with P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson and Caleb Martin included in the return.
Rich Paul Breaks Down LeBron James’ Options In Free Agency
As Shams Charania reported during an appearance on ESPN on Friday morning (YouTube link), LeBron James and agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports are in “fact-finding mode” as they consider where the 22-time All-Star will play in 2026/27.
In the latest episode of his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman (Spotify link), Paul provided some insight into some of the factors going into that decision, breaking out a white board to take a closer look at several of the options his star client is considering.
Paul broke down how James would fit into the starting lineups for the Sixers, Heat, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Cavaliers, while also listing five other teams on the periphery of his board: the Warriors, Mavericks, Knicks, Spurs, and Celtics.
Pressed by Kellerman about why Golden State – long considered one of the frontrunners – were off to the side instead of at the center of his board, Paul said not to read too much into the placement of specific teams and suggested that the idea of playing alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green holds real appeal to James. Still, Anthony Slater of ESPN reported on Thursday that the Warriors don’t necessarily believe they’re a frontrunner, and Charania reiterated that message on Friday (Twitter video link).
Although Paul heavily implied that LeBron will end up choosing a destination from that group of 10, he told Kellerman that “outside of one or two,” he has had heard from nearly every team in the league — even if those teams were just making a check-in call out of due diligence and don’t really expect to land the four-time MVP.
Notably, Paul also pushed back on Kellerman’s assumption that 2026/27 will be James’ last season, pointing out that hasn’t been decided yet.
“No one’s said this is going to be his last year,” Paul said, adding that LeBron “got the green light” from his family to play anywhere he wants to (Twitter video link).
The segment is absolutely worth checking out in full, but here are some highlights from Paul’s breakdown:
- The presence of Mike Gansey in Philadelphia is noteworthy, according to Paul, who observed that James has known the Sixers‘ new president of basketball operations since they competed against one another as high school players in Ohio. Paul added that LeBron “loves” Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey and observed that the 41-year-old would be an obvious fit at power forward alongside Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid, writes Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice (Twitter video link).
- Paul considers the fact that Darius Garland no longer plays for the Cavaliers a minus, explaining that LeBron “loves Garland like he loves Maxey.” However, he said there are plenty of factors working in Cleveland’s favor, including James’ potential fit in the starting five next to Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, as well as the presence of assistant general manager Brandon Weems, a longtime friend of LeBron (Twitter video link).
- Within a discussion about the Knicks, Paul said they’ve “checked in” and would likely be at the top of James’ list if they weren’t coming off a championship. “If the Knicks wouldn’t have won, there’d be no board,” Paul said. “He’d be going to the Knicks.” While Paul didn’t rule out the possibility of LeBron landing in New York, he outlined the potential complications and noted that Jalen Brunson‘s endorsement would be important (Twitter video link). For what it’s worth, both Ian Begley of SNY.tv and Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link) have heard that New York is very unlikely to be James’ landing spot.
- Asked by Kellerman if the Nuggets are really receiving legitimate consideration, Paul said they wouldn’t be on the board if they weren’t, and pointed to James’ friendship with team governor Josh Kroenke as well as the basketball fit alongside Nikola Jokic.
- Paul also spoke about what the Timberwolves (Twitter video link), Mavericks (Twitter video link), and Heat (Twitter video link) have working in their favor, highlighting the on-court fit for a Minnesota team that is losing its top two power forwards, singling out new Mavs president Masai Ujiri as an intriguing prospective partner, and noting that LeBron would be comfortable reuniting with Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley in Miami.
Free Agent Rumors: Shamet, Wade, Bagley, Williams, Landale
While he doesn’t specify any teams, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype states that “numerous” clubs are expected to have interest in Knicks wing Landry Shamet if he reaches the open market on Tuesday.
As Scotto writes, New York is considered unlikely to re-sign Shamet and Mitchell Robinson if owner James Dolan maintains his edict of being unwilling to surpass the second tax apron.
Shamet is “beloved” by head coach Mike Brown and the Knicks’ front office, per Scotto, but rival teams are “salivating” at potentially being able to sign him away from the defending champions.
Scotto hears backup center Robinson, another unrestricted free agent, is expected to receive contract offers for the full mid-level exception or “slightly higher.” The full MLE projects to start at $15MM next season and is worth up to $64.7MM over four years.
Here are a few more free agent rumors, courtesy of Scotto:
- The Cavaliers, Sixers, Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Pistons and Trail Blazers are among the teams interested in signing free agent forward Dean Wade, who has spent the past seven season in Cleveland, league sources tell HoopsHype. Known as a strong, versatile defender at 6’9″, Wade has converted 36.7% of his career three-point attempts, Scotto notes. New Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, Cleveland’s longtime former general manager, played a key role in the Cavs signing Wade as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Scotto observes.
- Mavericks big man Marvin Bagley III is another player who’s expected to have a robust market in free agency, according to Scotto, who says the former No. 2 overall pick is expected to land a contract in the range of the taxpayer mid-level exception ($6.2MM per year).
- The Suns, Warriors, Celtics and Mavericks are among the teams expected to show interest in free agent guard Brandon Williams, Scotto reports. The 26-year-old, who has spent the past three seasons in Dallas, put up the best numbers of his career in 2025/26, averaging 13.0 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 66 games (22.2 minutes per contest). As Brian Robb of MassLive notes, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens indicated after Boston was eliminated from the playoffs that the team could be in the market for a player with “speed on the perimeter,” and Williams would fit that bill.
- The Hawks are interested in re-signing veteran center Jock Landale, but they’ll have competition for his services if they can’t strike a deal before Tuesday, according to Scotto, who identifies the Bulls, Lakers, Clippers, Sixers and Cavaliers as potential suitors. The Australian big man is expected to receive offers that exceed the bi-annual exception ($11.2MM over two years), Scotto adds.
Atlantic Notes: Gansey, Grimes, Raptors, Nets
The Sixers recently introduced their new president of basketball operations, Mike Gansey. Now it’s time for him to start answering some of the difficult questions Philadelphia’s roster situation presents, Tony Jones writes for The Athletic.
The two factors that will complicate Gansey’s ability to put his stamp on the roster are the futures of Paul George and Joel Embiid. Both veterans had moments of high-level play this season, but they also have extremely expensive contracts and lengthy injury histories. Since it’s unlikely the Sixers will be able to find palatable avenues to trade them, it’s imperative that they try to find ways to keep both veteran stars on the floor as much as possible.
The non-taxpayer mid-level exception could be an important tool in Philadelphia’s search for an impact player to help take the team from good to very good, Jones notes. The 76ers also have the 22nd pick in the draft, which Gansey is in a good position to be able to maximize the value of, given his time running the draft in Cleveland, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“At 22, you want to get a combination of best player available and fit with our roster,” Gansey said about his approach to the draft.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers will also have to figure out what to do with unrestricted free agent Quentin Grimes, who is coming off an unspectacular second season in Philadelphia. Even after trading away Jared McCain, there’s an argument to be made that Kelly Oubre Jr. should be the incumbent player the team looks to retain, Adam Aaronson writes for the Philly Voice, especially because Grimes could have a wider range of teams interested in him given his age and shooting. Aaronson speculates that the Bulls, Clippers, and Bucks could be suitors for the 26-year-old’s services.
- The Raptors have had to watch two players they traded away come through the East to reach the NBA Finals in consecutive years in OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. The team probably mishandled the Siakam trade in particular, but it seems unlikely that keeping him in Toronto would have worked in the long run anyway, Eric Koreen writes for The Athletic. When it comes to next steps, Koreen says it would behoove the Raptors not to sign any more long-term contracts as the team try to figure out how to improve the roster, which is surprisingly expensive given the lucrative deals that Brandon Ingram, Jakob Poeltl, and Immanuel Quickley received. Toronto shouldn’t be desperate to move Ingram or Quickley, but the front office does need to be careful with how it gives out money moving forward.
- The Nets are only three-and-a-half years removed from the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving experience, but their rebuild in recent years hasn’t quite gone according to plan, due in part to a lack of lottery luck. They will have to figure out how to start building a competitive roster this offseason, since the Rockets own their pick next summer, Yossi Gozlan writes in his offseason preview for The Third Apron (Substack link). They could look to renegotiate and extend Michael Porter Jr., who had a strong first season in Brooklyn. They could also use their stockpile of draft picks and young players to try to move up in the draft from No. 6. Additionally, they’re on the clock when it comes to reserve center Day’Ron Sharpe, who has been productive off the bench for several years.
Sixers Notes: Gansey, Embiid, Nelson, More
After taking over as the club’s new president of basketball operations, Mike Gansey acknowledged at his introductory press conference on Monday that the Sixers aren’t a “championship caliber team” at the moment, writes Dan Gelston of The Associated Press.
Gansey didn’t offer many hints at the roster moves he envisions this offseason, telling reporters that he “just got here,” and he was evasive when asked about his plans for oft-injured star Joel Embiid, who still has three years and $188MM left on his maximum-salary contract.
“With him and the roster we have, that’s who we have,” Gansey said. “We’ve got to get those guys on the floor. We’ve got to create an identity. Just get them to play basketball.”
While Philadelphia has been hampered in recent years by the inconsistent availability of Embiid and his fellow maximum-salary star Paul George, Sixers executive Bob Myers pointed out that there’s no reason at this point to believe either player will get a late start to the 2026/27 season.
“The good news is this,” said Myers, who holds the title “president of sports” for the Sixers’ ownership group. “There’s no scheduled surgeries this summer. There’s no injury going into the offseason. In the past, there has been that. This is an opportunity to get better, not to play catch-up for Joel, but to actually get better and build on last year. And with that, the hope’s that he can be on the floor a lot more.”
We have more on the Sixers:
- Gansey referred to having Myers in the organization as a “cheat code” as he prepares to run a front office for the first time, per Gelston. The former Cavaliers executive also said that he was in favor of keeping head coach Nick Nurse on the job and added that keeping Jameer Nelson in the front office as his executive VP of basketball operations was a “bit of a sticking point.”
- Nelson also spoke at Monday’s presser about his new role, as Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. The former NBA point guard said he has received interest in recent years from other teams looking to hire him away from Philadelphia, but he wants to be “part of the solution here” and feels “responsibility to help this organization move forward.” Nelson, a native of nearby Chester, Pennsylvania, expressed gratitude for having gotten this opportunity with his hometown team. “Six years ago, when I started (with the Sixers), I had no idea where this journey would take me,” he said. “Credit to the organization for believing in me … To do it for the home team gives me goosebumps, to be honest with you. I think it’s one of the things that people take for granted: when you can actually help out an organization but, more importantly, do it at home.”
- In a pair of stories for PhillyVoice.com, Adam Aaronson puts together a couple hypothetical trade scenarios that he thinks might work for the Sixers this offseason and considers whether the sacrifices necessary to free up the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception this summer would be worth it.
- In case you missed, the 76ers are the most recent team we looked at in our Offseason Preview series.
Sixers Officially Name Mike Gansey President Of Basketball Operations
The Sixers have officially announced the hiring of Mike Gansey, confirming today in a press release that the former Cavaliers executive will hold the title of president of basketball operations in Philadelphia.
Word broke last week that Gansey was the 76ers’ choice to run their front office in the wake of Daryl Morey‘s dismissal earlier this spring.
“Today’s announcement of the hiring of Mike Gansey is an important step in our desire to take the Philadelphia 76ers to the next level,” Sixers managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement. “Mike has built a reputation as a tremendous leader and relentless worker who has a sharp eye for basketball talent. We are excited to welcome he and his family to Philadelphia. I look forward to the work he, (Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports) Bob Myers, and (head coach) Nick Nurse will do to build a contender for this city and our fans.”
Myers also put out a statement in which he said Gansey “really stood out” during the Sixers’ search for a new head of basketball operations and possesses the qualities the team was looking for in its next front office leader.
“He commands respect, has an impressive basketball IQ, and is well respected across players, coaches, and fellow executives,” Myers said. “He has all the attributes necessary to shine in this role.”
Gansey had been working for the Cavaliers for the past decade and a half. He was promoted in 2022 to a general manager role under president of basketball operations Koby Altman after previously spending five years as an assistant GM. We shared several more details on Gansey’s résumé and background in our initial story on his hiring, which you can read here.
In his own statement, Gansey thanked the Cavaliers, including Altman and team owner Dan Gilbert, and expressed enthusiasm about his new opportunity in Philadelphia.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Josh Harris, (Sixers managing partner) David Blitzer, and Bob Myers for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity with such an iconic franchise,” he said. “This organization, much like the City of Philadelphia, is deeply rooted in its history and passion, and I am extremely excited to get started.
“To the fans, this is not a responsibility I take lightly. The energy and dedication you pour into the 76ers will fuel us, and the work begins immediately as we position ourselves for the draft, free agency, next season, and beyond.”
According to the Sixers, they’ll hold an introductory press conference for Gansey on Monday at 10:00 am Eastern time.
Sixers Notes: Bona, Gansey, Walker, Lowry
With Joel Embiid in and out of the lineup for the Sixers this season, second-year center Adem Bona got a chance to prove his worth to the team. In his modest role, he showed some intriguing qualities but also some cause for concern, Adam Aaronson writes in his season recap for the Philly Voice.
Bona’s 3.2 blocked shots per 100 possessions was the ninth-best mark in the league, reflecting his ability to change games on the defensive end with his energy and his athleticism. However, he struggled with reading the game, touch around the rim, and defensive rebounding ability, all of which proved to be issues in the playoffs. For those reasons, Bona is better suited to be the third center than the primary backup, Aaronson argues, calling next season a “make or break year” for the 23-year-old.
Bona only attempted six three-pointers this season, but he says it’s something that he’s working on.
“That’s definitely a part of my game I do [want to] develop a little more, [earn] more trust in my teammates and myself and my coaching staff to be able to take shots like that,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a process; it takes time to get there. So obviously next year, the goal is to be able to do that more, even though [there weren’t many situations which] called for it this year.”
We have more from the Sixers:
- Newly hired team president Mike Gansey filled many roles for the Cavaliers during his decade-plus tenure with the team. One area he helped impact during his later years in Cleveland was helping to identify potential trade and free agent targets, including key contributors Max Strus and Sam Merrill, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Merrill, particularly, was a critical signing for the Cavaliers, as they were able to add him on a 10-day contract before his impact earned him a guaranteed deal.
- Jabari Walker showed a lot of versatility during his first year in Philadelphia, but it’s unclear if his inconsistent jump shot will allow him to consistently tap into his gifts, Aaronson writes. Walker is a strong rebounder who can make some passes on short rolls and even demonstrated the ability to play small-ball center. If he can just hit his open shots, he could be a valuable piece moving forward. It would also behoove him to try to get a little more mobile in order to defend quicker wings as well as smaller bigs, Aaronson adds.
- Most players are judged by their on-court impact, but a small group of players are there for a different kind of contribution. Kyle Lowry played just 118 minutes for the Sixers this season and didn’t attempt a single two-pointer in that time. However, every younger player on the roster raved about the 40-year-old’s impact on how they approach the game, Aaronson writes in Lowry’s season-end retrospective. “I couldn’t do this without him, honestly, right now,” Tyrese Maxey said. “He calls me at least three or four times a day and we talk. But it’s good, though. I’m glad he’s here and I appreciate him and we appreciate him.” Lowry hasn’t formally announced his plans for next season, but it seems quite likely that he has reached the end of his playing career.
Sixers To Hire Mike Gansey As President Of Basketball Operations
Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey has reached an agreement to become the Sixers‘ new president of basketball operations, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Gansey will replace Daryl Morey, who was fired after Philadelphia was swept by New York in the second round of the playoffs.
A former college basketball player at St. Bonaventure and West Virginia, Gansey was viewed as a potential NBA draft pick in 2006 but he contracted MRSA during the pre-draft process, ultimately signing a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Heat. He was waived after being hospitalized for two weeks and losing 30 pounds as a result of the infection, per ESPN, then contracted MRSA again in his ankle, which required surgery.
“I mean people have lost lives from this, have lost body parts,” Gansey said in 2007. “It’s something you don’t want to mess around with, and if you see any little thing that looks suspicious, get it checked out. You never know what it could be.”
Gansey played in a couple of summer leagues, but never suited up in the NBA, having spent time in the G League (then called the D-League) on top of playing professionally in Italy, Germany and China. He transitioned to a front office role with the Cavaliers in 2011/12.
The 43-year-old steadily worked his way up the ranks with his hometown team. Gansey was named the G League’s Executive of the Year in April 2017, then was promoted to assistant GM of the Cavs a few months later. He was elevated again to GM in 2022 and has been in that role with Cleveland for the past four years.
This will be Gansey’s first opportunity to run a team of his own, as he has spent the past several years working under Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman. Bob Myers, who led the search process, is expected to collaborate with Gansey during key times of the league year, including the draft, free agency and trade deadline.
The Cavs have won 51, 48, 64 and 52 regular season games over the past four years with Gansey as general manager, making the playoffs on each occasion. Cleveland was eliminated from the postseason last week when the team was swept by New York in the Eastern Conference finals.
Gansey and Sixers assistant GM Jameer Nelson were reportedly the frontrunners for the top front office job in Philadelphia, with Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U’Ren and Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd viewed as the other finalists. Multiple reports have indicated that Nelson, a former NBA point guard, is likely to be promoted.