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2020 NBA Offseason: Overview of Sixers' Latest Front Office Changes

The Sixers' decision to fire head coach Brett Brown back in August was supposed to be the first move of several within the organization. Following a first-round series loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, 76ers General Manager Elton Brand took an honest look at the organization and came to terms with reality.

"I'm doing a thorough assessment of our front office," Brand stated a couple of months ago. "Our group has to get stronger. I'm taking the time to assess where we are and how do we get better. We failed, and we're not happy about it."

For years, the Sixers implemented a collaborative work environment in the front office. Some described it as a situation where there might've been "too many cooks in the kitchen," making roster-related decisions for the team.

Considering the Sixers have no worthy accomplishments to show for over the last few years despite making the playoffs, Brand decided it was time to make changes. And the team's Managing Partners, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, gave Elton Brand the green light to lead the search for a new head coach and re-evaluate the front office.

While the front office evaluation took much longer than desired for many fans, changes are coming for the 2020-2021 NBA season. Over the last few weeks, there's been a handful of changes regarding the front office staff.

The Overview

  • Elton Brand: Let's start at the top. For the last two seasons, Elton Brand has served as the team's General Manager. During his first two seasons in office, Brand hardly had full control of the decision-making process. That changes this year. Although reports surfaced stating the Sixers could be on the hunt for a new President of Basketball Operations to oversee Brand and the front office (Daryl Morey, for example), Brand's official title for next year will be Executive President of Basketball Operations. 
  • Phil Jabour: Many hadn't heard of Jabour until before the news came out, stating he was parting ways with the Sixers. Jabour got his start with the Sixers back in 2014 and worked his way up to become the Director of Scouting ahead of the 2019-2020 season. Now, he will leave for a front-office job with the Sacramento Kings.
  • Sergi Olivia: Here's a more familiar front office name for Sixers fans. Although Olivia didn't have the biggest target on his back this offseason from the Philly fan base, he was a part of the front office's collaborative work environment, serving as the team's Director of Strategy. Next year, he will have a role on the Utah Jazz's coaching staff, however. 
  • Peter Dinwiddie: Dinwiddie becomes perhaps the most prominent addition to the front office this year. For months, the Sixers have been searching for somebody to work as Brand's No. 2. Well, Dinwiddie is the guy for the job. On Friday night, sources confirmed the Sixers are hiring the Indiana Pacers' Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations to become the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in Philly.
  • Prosper Karangwa: Here's another Friday night addition to the team. Prosper Karangwa, who served as the Director of Scouting for the Orlando Magic, will see a promotion with the 76ers as he becomes the team's Vice President of Player Personnel. 
  • Alex Rucker: You could consider Rucker public enemy No. 1 to Sixers fans this offseason. A couple of months ago, Rucker was reportedly expected not to return to Philly for the 2020-2021 season. Now, he's supposedly staying but picking up a new role. According to Kyle Neubeck of The PhillyVoice, Rucker's new role is currently to be determined. He won't leave -- but the chances of him having any voice relating to basketball decisions is quite slim. 
  • Ned Cohen: The Sixers won't clean house this offseason. While they've made a handful of changes as of late, Ned Cohen survives the evaluation as he's set to keep his title as the team's Assistant General Manager. He's not Brand's No. 2. While his opinion might be heard, the roster-related decisions will ultimately be up to Brand. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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