The Philadelphia 76ers are still figuring out what the next step is when it comes to their front office and really, the organization as a whole. When a team fails as hard as the 2019-20 version of the Sixers did, that means wholesale changes come with it.
It has been almost a full month since they were swept out of Round 1 of the playoffs and they made the first move when they fired coach Brett Brown after seven seasons. General manager Elton Brand then dropped some hints that the Sixers were ready to keep going with the changes and bring in more basketball minds.
However, there have not been any changes made within the front office just yet. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the team could be looking into hiring a President of Basketball Operations:
League sources have said the Sixers are inquiring about the possibility of hiring a president of basketball operations.
What exactly does that mean for Brand and the rest of the front office? First of all, it means that Brand might not have the final say on big decisions such as hiring the next coach or making the next big transaction move. The President of Basketball Operations would most likely have the final say and Brand mentioned that the team did not like the “collaboration days” so that could throw a wrench into Brand’s thinking as he would be making suggestions, but the president would make the final decision.
Secondly, if a decision was to be made to hire a president, then that guy would most likely want to bring in his own guys. This then puts more questions around Executive VP of Basketball Operations Alex Rucker, Ned Cohen, and Sergi Oliva who were heavily involved with the decision making this season. The Sixers managing group of Josh Harris and David Blitzer have focused a lot on analytics, but that could change with a new hire.
Pompey reported:
In addition to Rucker, assistant GM Ned Cohen and VP of strategy Sergi Oliva were also involved in the decision-making as the team relied heavily on analytics.
Time will tell who the Sixers opt to let go in their quest to get more basketball minds in their front office, or if they will re-assign Cohen, Oliva or others.
Whatever happens in this upcoming offseason and the expected changes around the front office, the Sixers will have to try and correct the mistakes made in the 2019 offseason. They will not only have to try and bring in some shooting and a playmaker on the floor, but they will also have to try and change the culture around the organization at the moment and get back on the winning track. [lawrence-related id=37706,37703,37700]