Episode IV
IN HINKIE WE TRUST
You have heard the name Sam Hinkie in association with the Jrue Holiday trade, Michael Carter-Williams pick, and T.J. McConnell and Robert Covington signings. All of the perfect moves to keep an NBA franchise out of the playoffs for at least five years with hopes of striking gold in the draft lottery in the Process. These were the moves only to be orchestrated by the mind of Sam Hinkie. Who exactly was Sam Hinkie when ownership gave the green light for the Process?
A basketball head by heart, Hinkie would attend multiple basketball camps growing up. He would even make his way to his high school gym when he had any spare time and play for hours. After getting a degree from Stanford, his launch into pro sports came by way of the NFL. He spent a good amount of time with the Texans, providing key analytics to their team building.
Later, he would find a niche in the Rockets organization in the field of analytics. As a star on the rise, his ultimate deal came when James Harden became available for a trade from the OKC Thunder. Hinkie and GM Daryl Morey made the call to offer players in exchange for Harden, after a season where the Beard was a Sixth Man of the Year, and an offensive specialist at the ripe age of 23. No wonder the 76ers owner Josh Harris would listen to the Process Master.
During his tenure with the 76ers, Sam Hinkie went from an obscure manager, who rarely made public appearances, to a cult hero that brought future NBA stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to South Philly. He was criticized for the short-sighted dismissiveness of rookie drama involving Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, while exalted for the vision of accumulating draft assets and cap space to build a championship contender.
Ultimately, Hinkie found the end of his rope the moment the league saw Hinkie’s aloof behavior as GM, alienating agents, confusing fans, and pissing off players to be detrimental to their bottom line. Although his resignation manifesto is one for the ages and his name stays fresh in the fanbase psyche, Sam Hinkie’s imprint on the Process could have been rivaled by his successor. If Sam Hinkie started the Process, then Bryan Colangelo had a very good chance to finish it.