Changes are Reportedly Coming in Philadelphia 76ers' Front Office
The 2019 NBA offseason was critical for the Philadelphia 76ers. With key trade acquisitions potentially entering the free agency market, the Sixers had some tough decisions to make. As we know by now, the team opted to offer Tobias Harris a max contract while letting JJ Redick walk. And after working out a sign and trade with the Miami Heat to deal out Jimmy Butler, the Sixers went and spent nearly $110 million on Boston Celtics' big man, Al Horford.
Considering where they left off last season, and how much money they've spent last summer, the Sixers were viewed as a team with championship expectations in 2020. Unfortunately, they landed the sixth-seed in the Eastern Conference and exited the playoffs in the first round after getting swept by the Boston Celtics.
Now, change is inevitable in Philly, and it all started with the head coach. After seven seasons, the Sixers have moved on from Brett Brown. While they will keep Elton Brand in charge of the front office moving forward, the group behind the scenes won't stay intact, according to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey.
"Multiple league sources don't expect executive vice president of basketball operations, Alex Rucker, to be back next season," Pompey wrote on Tuesday night. "Brand has received a lot of criticism for the Sixers' shortcomings and poor decisions. However, Rucker has been heavily involved behind the scenes in a lot of the decision-making, according to sources."
Rucker's potential exit shouldn't come as a surprise. A few weeks back, Brand addressed the media and made it clear that the collaboration days of the Sixers front office are officially over.
And instead of relying heavily on analytics all the time, Brand mentioned he would like more basketball minds involved in decision-making moving forward. While the inevitable changes in Philly's front office are taking a longer time than desired, significant moves are being made from the coaching staff to the front office -- and it seems the Sixers are focused on taking care of the front office first.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
