The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Bryan Colangelo’s sad trade record as Philadelphia 76ers GM

By Stuart London

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Bryan Colangelo of the Philadelphia 76ers has a conversation during the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Bryan Colangelo of the Philadelphia 76ers has a conversation during the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

As a two-time NBA Executive of the Year, it is hard to believe that Bryan Colangelo could not get the upper hand on some of the trades he made as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers. However, you can judge for yourself how he did (Warning:  Worse than you remember)

When Bryan Colangelo was named the President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers on April 10, 2016, the fans (many upset with the change from Sam Hinkie) were told Colangelo would be able to facilitate trades better than Hinkie.

The GMs of other NBA teams, as well as agents, hated dealing with Hinkie, who was famously tough to get in touch with, cold and tried to wring every ounce from any transaction. Colangelo, along with his father Jerry, an NBA legend and serving as an adviser to Sixers owner Joshua Harris, knew everyone and trades would, in theory, be a lot easier to facilitate.

The Sixers had just gone 10-72, one loss shy of tying the NBA record for worse season ever, so no one was untouchable for a trade (although it was doubtful anyone would want Joel Embiid, who still had yet to play an NBA game after sitting two years with a broken foot)

Colangelo had made trades to acquire stars Jason Kidd and Kyle Lowry in previous stops in Phoenix and Toronto, so his trade record was not bad. Most people, if anything, had more a problem with his draft history.

Being handed (by daddy, Harris or, for conspiracy theorists, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver) a team with nowhere to go but up and a ton of assets thanks to Hinkie, it was interesting to think at the time what wheeling and dealing Colangelo would do.

Now that he has been gone for over a year, thanks to Eric Jr., it is time to look back on all the trades Colangelo made as GM before leaving on June 6, 2018.

In totality, it is pretty bad . It is hard to find even one deal where one could say ‘Yep, Bryan fleeced them’. This might be a big reason the Sixers bench was so thin this season (although the summer after Bryan left management team also had a part in it). If you keep trading away good players and do not get any in return, eventually it will catch up to you.