Sixers' Elton Brand Reacts to Contract Extension

On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers made it official with former Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. Now, Morey will oversee the Sixers' front office, which has been led by third-year GM Elton Brand for the last few months.

Last week, when the Sixers were in advanced talks with Morey, many were under the assumption that his arrival could phase Brand out of the picture. However, the Sixers not only plan to keep Brand on board -- but they showed their confidence in the young executive by offering a contract extension.

On Sunday afternoon, Brand reportedly inked a multi-year contract extension with the Sixers, which was eventually confirmed by the organization on Monday morning as Brand reacted to his new contract via a statement.

“I appreciate the confidence Josh Harris and this organization have shown in me with this extension,” Brand said. “From the moment I arrived in Philadelphia, my goal has been to find a way to bring a championship to this city and our fans. I love this city, I love our fans, and I will do whatever it takes to help this franchise succeed. This offseason, this organization has added two of the most respected and accomplished leaders in the NBA -- Daryl Morey as President of Basketball Operations and Doc Rivers as Head Coach - and I’m excited to work and grow with this group.” 

Brand earned the title of the Sixers' GM back in 2018, following the short-lived Bryan Colangelo era. Considering Brand had minimal experience as an NBA executive, the Sixers maintained a collaborative work environment, with multiple voices having a say in personnel decisions. After a disappointing 2019-2020 NBA season, 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer decided to eliminate the collaborative process and allow Brand to have the final say on personnel decisions. 

With Morey's arrival, however, Brand will no longer be the leader in the clubhouse. While he's still an integral piece to the Sixers' front office, Brand will be Morey's No. 2 heading into the 2020-2021 season. The front office duo will be introduced with a press conference on Monday afternoon at 2 pm EST. 

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