After what’s seemed like an eternity, the Sixers finally have an official General Manager in place. The organization named former first overall pick Elton Brand as their new GM moving forward.
This move doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as many expected the front office to promote from within. Brand was the GM for the Delaware Blue Coats last season down in the G-League, and he made a strong enough impression to be promoted up to the NBA.
The Sixers conducted an exhaustive search for a new GM after the infamous Bryan Colangelo twitter scandal. Some of their candidates included: Golden State’s assistant GM Larry Harris, Utah Jazz assistant GM Justin Zanik, and Houston Rockets vice president Gersson Rosas.
Ultimately, promoting Brand to the vacant GM position made the most sense. He was already a part of the organization, and as a well-respected former player himself he’ll be able to attract free agents to Philly. As a former player, Brand always had the reputation as good teammate and was universally liked around the league.
The Sixers have one of the best young teams in the NBA. Their two budding superstars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are both under the age of 25, making Philadelphia a premiere destination for pending free agents next season. The Sixers front office is hoping that Brand can take advantage of this, and bring in the players required to win a championship.