NBA Rumors: 76ers Looking Into Hiring a President of Basketball Ops?

The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into a tough offseason in 2020. While the current roster has some notable talent on board, the fit is strange -- and the contracts are ugly. After the Sixers underwhelmed this season and finished the year off by getting swept in the first round of the playoffs, the team fired Brett Brown after a seven-year stint.
Following Brown's firing, many expected General Manager Elton Brand to get the pink slip as well -- but that didn't happen. Instead, the Sixers decided to stay committed to Brand as the GM but will quit on utilizing a collection of people within the front office to make decisions regarding the roster.
As reported before, people around the league don't believe Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Alex Rucker will retain his position in Philly's front office. And according to a recent report from The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey, sources around the league are saying the Sixers are "inquiring about the possibility of hiring a President of Basketball Operations."
While multiple candidates, including Golden State's Bob Myers, Houston's Daryl Morey, and Indiana's Kevin Pritchard, are of reported interest to the Sixers -- none of those executives are realistic options for Philly at the moment.
At this point, it's believed that Portland Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Neil Olshey could have some interest, but that would require the Sixers to take power out of Brand's hands and give Olshey final say in making decisions. As the Sixers seem committed to Elton Brand as the GM, Pompey suggests that a No. 2 for the former All-Star-turned-executive makes the most sense, but finding the right candidate to come in an make a real difference is easier said than done.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia
Follow @JGrasso_