After cutting ties with Daryl Morey and installing Mike Gansey as their new president of basketball operations, the Philadelphia 76ers are clearly predisposed toward an organizational shift. Having said that, it seems like they are not yet finished making changes up top with the general manager position rumored to be undergoing a transformation as well.
As reported by a well-sourced insider in Marc Stein (subscription required), the 76ers are widely expected to promote Jameer Nelson and entrench him as their new general manager, which would allow him to succeed Elton Brand. Nelson had been serving as their assistant GM since last year, although he has been involved with the franchise for nearly six years.
Nelson, who played 14 years in the league as a heady point guard, has become a staple in the 76ers organization since 2020, kickstarting his career as an executive with the Delaware Blue Coats, Philly's G-League affiliate. His apparent promotion only comes naturally, especially since he was one of the finalists for the lead executive position before Gansey ended up being Bob Myers and the ownership group's choice.
The 76ers are close to making another huge change up top with a new GM in Jameer Nelson
Brand has served as the 76ers' GM since late 2018, but his body of work will largely be defined by the fact that he worked directly under Daryl Morey's command for the most part. Having said that, even before the longtime executive step foot in the city, he had already made pulled off some drastic moves that defined the team for better or for worse.
The former 17-year veteran was the one who orchestrated the blockbuster trade back in 2018 to bring in Jimmy Butler. He was likewise the person behind the scenes who allowed the 76ers to get their hands on Tobias Harris. Obviously –– if not regretfully –– it was also his brain trust that decided it was prudent to hand Harris a max extension.
But independent of those facts, replacing Brand is probably an intuitive choice on the part of the 76ers. After all, firing Morey without replacing his second-in-command in Brand only feels like leaving it on the one-yard line. The franchise needs a real infusion of new decision-makers, and having Nelson succeed Brand only feels right since the former is a well-connected executive anyway.
Without this sounding like an indictment, the Philadelphia 76ers are definitely about to do the right thing. Jameer Nelson and Mike Gansey could just be the pilots of change they needed, and if there is an ideal time to commit to this shift, it is definitely now.
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