Bryan Colangelo learned to tap the Euroleague as general manager with the Toronto Raptors. He continues the tradition with the Philadelphia 76ers. Will it work this time?
Bryan Colangelo is the President of the Philadelphia 76ers, and by all rights it’s general manager. But this is not his first gig. Upon his hiring, we investigated the track record of Colangelo. First as the heir apparent to his father Jerry Colangelo at the helm of the Phoenix Suns. Secondly, as the general manager of the Toronto Raptors. But it was the cold temperatures of the city of Toronto which thwarted his efforts to attract top NBA stars to play there.
Similarly, it’s the uncertainty of the trajectory of the Philadelphia 76ers which gave free agents pause. After all, it’s about money, opportunity, and championships, right? That’s the selling point of all franchises, although only have handful of teams are truly in the championship running any given year. Much like Toronto, Bryan Colangelo sought free agent help for the team.
In both cases, the NBA free agency market turned a cold shoulder to Colangelo. During his tenure with Toronto, Colangelo struck out in the traditional free agent talent. Undaunted, he turned his wallet towards Europe.
Next: Euro-Raptors