Ranking 4 Main Sixers Front Office Candidates From Best to Worst

Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported Monday that the Sixers’ search for a new lead executive included four main candidates: assistant GM Jameer Nelson, Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U’Ren, Cleveland Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey, and Minnesota Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd.

Philadelphia sits in an interesting two-timelines position with Tyrese Maxey/VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid/Paul George, whose contracts limit what direction it can take. Needless to say, the Sixers need to nail this hire.

With that in mind, we've ranked the four reported candidates from most to least desirable.

1. Nick U’Ren

If fans grew tired of Morey’s analytically driven nature, U’Ren is a sight for sore eyes.

U’Ren not only has experience winning at the highest level but also values the people side of things, two aspects he strengthened under none other than HBSE president of sports Bob Myers.

U’Ren started his front-office career with the Phoenix Suns, serving as an assistant video coordinator from 2009-13 before moving to the Bay Area. The Golden State Warriors, led by then-GM Myers, hired U’Ren in 2013 and he worked his way up to director of basketball operations in 2018.

Golden State won four championships during U’Ren’s tenure. That began in 2014-15, when he suggested to head coach Steve Kerr that they play small-ball to defend LeBron James ahead of Game 4 of the 2015 NBA Finals.

U’Ren eventually left the NBA and made a name for himself with the Mercury, where he became GM ahead of the 2023-24 season. Phoenix won nine games the year before U’Ren arrived, but he retooled its roster en route to 19- and 27-win increases in the next two seasons. Also, the Mercury made the Finals last year.

U’Ren’s connection to Myers, who is leading Philadelphia’s search, already made him a notable prospect. But him making a name for himself with the Mercury along with being a part of the Warriors’ dynasty is intriguing for a Sixers team in need of more cohesion from top to bottom as well as winning experience.

2. Mike Gansey

Improving within the margins is something the Sixers did not do much this year. Gansey is the opposite.

He came to the Cavaliers as a basketball operations seasonal assistant in 2011 before serving leadership roles in the Cleveland Charge’s front office from 2012-17. Gansey won G-League Executive of the Year in 2016-17 while concurrently being a scout for the Cavaliers.

Cleveland promoted him to assistant GM in 2017 before he climbed the ladder to GM in February 2022. He has been the lieutenant to president of basketball operations Koby Altman, helping with personnel and scouting decisions.

While Gansey has been around for Cleveland’s big-name trades featuring Donovan Mitchell and Kyrie Irving, his speciality is moves on the edges. Look at how the Cavaliers unearthed undrafted gems, from Craig Porter Jr. and Dean Wade to Nae’Qwan Tomlin. All of them have made an impact throughout the year.

Gansey’s body of work could make him difficult to snatch, however. The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported that the Cavaliers plan to keep their coaching staff and front office in place even after they got swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Gansey, an Ohio native, may not want to leave the organization he has spent his entire career with if no big change is coming.

3. Matt Lloyd

Lloyd is also an interesting option with plenty of NBA experience.

He earned his first front office role with the Chicago Bulls as senior manager of basketball operations/scout in 2003. Lloyd eventually became the director of college scouting, where he built a database that compiled all of the team’s scouting information.

Lloyd joined the Orlando Magic in June 2012 and wielded multiple roles during his 10-year stint. He mainly oversaw the Magic’s scouting endeavors and assisted with roster management/development before coming to the Timberwolves in 2022.

He started as Minnesota’s senior vice president of basketball operations before the team promoted him to GM in July 2024. Lloyd has worked under POBO Tim Connelly throughout the most successful era in Timberwolves history, with consecutive Western Conference Finals berths.

Lloyd’s proficiency in scouting would be a welcomed trait, considering how the Sixers have lost Morey’s keen eye for drafting. Him also being a part of a Connelly-led front office that is not afraid to shake it up could be valuable as well, whether it was the Karl-Anthony Towns or Rudy Gobert trades.

4. Jameer Nelson

Ranking Nelson last is not personal. It just seems premature for him to be in consideration for this role.

Nelson, who enjoyed a 14-year NBA career, joined Philadelphia as a scout/assistant GM for the Delaware Blue Coats in October 2020. The Blue Coats won the G-League Championship during Nelson’s tenure in 2022-23.

The Sixers then promoted Nelson to Delaware's GM in November 2023 but the Blue Coats did not have the same success with him calling the shots. Delaware went 30-35 in that stretch before Philadelphia put him in its own front office as an assistant GM in May 2025.

It’s difficult to pinpoint how Nelson has contributed to the Sixers’ front office since there has yet to be a report detailing what he specializes in. His playing experience possibly fosters trust between him and the players—a contrast from sentiments heard about Morey.

Tony Jones of The Athletic reported on May 21 that even if Philadelphia does not promote him to lead executive, his role will still increase to some capacity. What’s more, Nelson is viewed as a front-office rising star who could one day manage a team, even if it's not necessarily the Sixers.

Nelson has a bright front office future, but taking a chance on him in the spot that the Sixers are in would be too risky. If the Sixers were in a rebuild, perhaps Nelson would be more attractive. But what Philadelphia needs is someone external with slightly more experience and fresher eyes.

The Sixers have less than a month before the first round of the NBA draft on June 23rd to figure it all out.

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