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Is Mike Gansey on Pace to Have the Best First Year as Lead Executive in the NBA?

Dissecting how Gansey’s first offseason as shot-caller compares to other lead executives in recent NBA history.
Jacob Moreno|
Mike Gansey at his introductory press conference with the Sixers
Mike Gansey at his introductory press conference with the Sixers | Austin Krell/On SI

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Philadelphia 76ers

If a Sixers fan said, “Mike Gansey is having the most successful first year as rookie lead executive ever,” you may initially think that’s a homer take.

But after a moment of reflection, ask yourself, is that truly a stretch?

In just one month, Gansey has assembled arguably the most talented starting lineup league-wide in Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid. He bettered the Sixers within the margins as well, adding Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Labaron Philon Jr. 

Gansey accomplished this while escaping Paul George’s maximum contract and avoiding the first tax apron. To measure his success, however, we must look at other lead executives' work in their first years.

Bob Myers

There’s no better former shot-caller to begin this deep-dive than Myers.

He is Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s president of sports, giving him a loud voice in the Sixers’ larger front-office operations like the trade deadline, draft and free agency. Gansey still has the title of president of basketball operations, nonetheless.

Before accepting his role at HBSE, Myers was the Golden State Warriors’ lead executive from 2012 to 2023, guiding them to four titles during his tenure. It was his first year that cemented the foundation of Golden State’s prolonged success, though.

He inherited the shot-caller title from Larry Riley following the 2011-12 campaign. Although Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were already rostered, Myers put the finishing touches on an already talented young core. He drafted Harrison Barnes seventh, Festus Ezeli 30th and Draymond Green 35th overall in the 2012 draft.

Barnes became one of the most productive 3-and-D wings in the NBA, punishing defenses for doubling Curry and Thompson with his off-ball shooting and providing value with his defensive versatility. Ezeli developed into a fringe rotational big despite injury troubles. It’s not the easiest task to find value in the late first round, and Myers did just that.

Acquiring a player of Green’s caliber is another thing, however. His IQ and switchability were critical in unlocking Golden State’s small-ball “death lineup”. Green’s defensive greatness and facilitating secured his title as arguably the greatest connector in NBA history and the Warriors would never have enjoyed as much success without him.

All three of those players went on to win at least one title in Golden State, but that didn’t come until the 2014-15 campaign. The Warriors did shock the world in 2012-13, though, winning 47 games and making the conference semifinals, where they fell to the San Antonio Spurs in six games.

Brad Stevens

Stevens assumed power differently than Myers did. He became the Boston Celtics’ shot-caller in June 2021 after coaching them for eight seasons and he wasted little time making changes. 

The rookie executive traded an injury-riddled Kemba Walker, amid a four-year maximum contract, and a 2021 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a return headlined by Al Horford. He then hired Ime Udoka as his replacement for head coach and acquired diamonds in the rough known as Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet.

But Stevens wasn’t done there. He flipped Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford and two future first-round selections into Derrick White, courtesy of the Spurs.

The result? Boston reached the Finals for the first time since 2009-10, but fell short to a more-experienced Warriors team in six games. It was the around-the-edges additions like Horford and White that helped the Celtics get there, however. 

Horford’s floor-spacing, strong interior defense and leadership made him a key cog of this now-defunct Celtics era. White’s perimeter defense as well as complementary shooting and ballhandling were pivotal for the last five years. Hauser grew into a reliable rotational 3-and-D forward and Kornet quietly became one of the most effective reserve centers before leaving for San Antonio.

Stevens’ fan reputation has plummeted since dealing Brown to Philadelphia, but the moves he made in 2021-22 eventually drove Boston to a championship in 2024.

Masai Ujiri

Ujiri had a Carmelo Anthony-sized problem after taking the reins from Mark Warkentien as the Denver Nuggets’ lead executive at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season.

Anthony wanted a change of scenery—specifically New York—and wouldn’t sign a contract extension with the Nuggets before the 2010-11 campaign. The Knicks came away with Amar’e Stoudamire in a loaded 2010 free-agency class and were eager to couple him with Anthony after missing out on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Ujiri took full advantage of this and dealt a package fronted by Anthony and Chauncey Billups to New York midseason for a haul. The Nuggets received Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov along with much draft capital, including two future first-round picks.

This return transformed Denver into a playoff-caliber team that punched above its weight for the next few seasons, which included a 57-win campaign in 2012-13. Ujiri’s return for Anthony even bore fruit when Tim Connelly took over and retooled the Nuggets, as one of the first-rounders Denver got from New York turned into Jamal Murray in 2016.

Where this leaves Gansey

It would be premature to say that Gansey is having the best rookie lead executive season ever without the 2026-27 campaign having run its course. He is well on his way, however. Gansey made the biggest moves of the offseason on paper, in comparison to the other three executives mentioned. 

If the Sixers go on to reach at least the Eastern Conference Finals or further this year, it’s very possible for Gansey to have the best rookie front-office year in the league’s history. He has yet to handle his first trade deadline, which could either boost or lower his stock. 

As it stands, the only executive to rival Gansey’s first-year boom is Stevens, whose Celtics saw the Finals immediately. That is quite a bar to set, but Philadelphia has its best opportunity to reach the Finals in the Joel Embiid era.

There is a world where Philadelphia wins 60 games and churns through the Eastern Conference, but there is also a world where they are bitten by injuries and fall short once more. The Sixers are equipped for the latter more than ever as Gansey’s aggressiveness and talent evaluation have propelled them to a legitimate contender.

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Jacob Moreno
JACOB MORENO

Jacob Moreno is a Sports Media major at Temple University who aspires to become a 76ers beat writer. He previously contributed to The Sixer Sense and also covers Temple Athletics for The Temple News. He is a huge Marvel nerd and falls victim to expensive Lego sets.

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