Where Philadelphia 76ers Rivals Rank on NBA Front Office Survey

Where do the Philadelphia 76ers rank against their rivals on an NBA front office poll?

May 11, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; General view of center court with the Philadelphia 76ers logo before game six of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia 76ers' front office placed outside of the top ten in a recent poll put together by The Athletic. The survey included 40 NBA executives. After the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets tied for 11th place with 12 votes, the Sixers came in 12th with 10 votes, just ahead of the Utah Jazz.

What about Philly's Atlantic Division rivals?

The Boston Celtics were considered the second-best front office in the league, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since putting the former head coach, Brad Stevens, in charge, the Celtics have consistently competed at the highest level and even have a championship to show for at this point.

Sep 24, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics general manager Brad Stevens talks to reporters during media day at Auerbach Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

“Stevens-era trades for Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday established a championship nucleus around the Brown-Tatum core without breaking the bank in terms of asset costs,” The Athletic wrote.

Before the list gets to the Sixers, the New York Knicks came in at sixth, with 41 points. They might be in a similar boat as the Sixers, failing to make it past the second round since entering the postseason picture recently, but it’s apparent the Knicks are trending in a favorable direction.

“The results that the Rose-led front office has done is hard to ignore, even if there is room to nitpick,” The Athletic explained. “They signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year deal in 2022 that quickly became a steal and then got him to re-sign at a discount.”

Dec 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives against Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) defends during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Knicks have plenty of star power in guys they’ve acquired through free agency or the trade market. That front office has been very busy—now they need to find postseason results in order to maintain their position as one of the most notable front offices in the NBA.

Ranking in at No. 15 behind the Sixers comes the Brooklyn Nets. That front office probably shot up the ranks before 2020 but quickly came back down. Just a few seasons ago, the Nets employed some of the most prominent stars in the NBA with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. At this point, they are all on new teams, while the Nets enter a rebuilding phase.