As the Joel Embiid era reaches a crossroads, the Philadelphia 76ers must weigh championship pedigree against scouting expertise to find the executive capable of stabilizing a franchise in flux.
The Philadelphia 76ers are entering one of their most important offseasons in years. After moving on from Daryl Morey, the franchise is searching for a new lead front-office executive at a time when almost everything feels uncertain: Joel Embiid’s future, Paul George’s contract, Tyrese Maxey’s long-term timeline and whether Philadelphia should continue chasing contention or move toward a reset.
According to PhillyVoice’s Adam Aaronson, Bob Myers is currently handling basketball operations on an interim basis while also helping lead the search for Morey’s replacement.
Bob Myers is the biggest name attached to the search. Myers built the Golden State Warriors dynasty and has been working full-time for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the group that owns the Sixers, Commanders, Devils, and other properties. Because of his championship background and relationship with Josh Harris, he would bring instant credibility.
Elton Brand is the most familiar internal candidate. Before Morey arrived, Brand was the Sixers’ general manager and remained in the organization as one of Morey’s top executives. He has experience in Philadelphia’s building as a player and within the front office. The question is whether the Sixers are interested in promoting from within or going in an entirely new direction.
Vince Rozman may be one of the most interesting names outside of the 76ers bubble. Rozman spent 16 years in the Sixers’ front office before joining the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he now serves as vice president of identification and intelligence. His reputation is built around scouting, draft evaluation, and player development. For a Sixers team that may need to get younger and build around Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, Rozman’s background would make sense.
Dennis Lindsey is the experienced option. He spent nearly a decade leading the Utah Jazz front office, helping build a team that made five straight playoff appearances. His résumé includes drafting Rudy Gobert, hiring Quin Snyder, and trading up for Donovan Mitchell. More recently, he has worked with the Detroit Pistons during their turnaround from a laughing stock to the best team in the Eastern Conference, record-wise. If the Sixers want a proven executive with a long track record, Lindsey fits that description.
Matt Lloyd represents another strong second-in-command candidate. He is currently the general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves and has worked his way up from communications with the Bulls to scouting and front-office roles with Chicago, Orlando, and Minnesota. His rise reflects a long scouting background and experience inside multiple organizations.
Dave Telep would be a scouting-focused hire. He has spent 13 years with the San Antonio Spurs, rising to assistant general manager. Before that, he worked as a college basketball recruiting analyst and sideline reporter for ESPN. His background is heavily tied to talent evaluation, which could appeal to a Sixers team that needs better depth, younger contributors, and stronger drafting.
Dave Lewin is another name with a strong scouting foundation. He began as an intern with the Cleveland Cavaliers and has spent more than a decade with the Boston Celtics. Now an assistant general manager in Boston, Lewin has worked under both Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens. Given Boston’s organizational success, hiring someone from that pipeline would be an understandable swing.
The final two names are more unconventional, Austin Brown and Alex Saratsis. Both are agents who have reportedly explored moving to the team side of the business. Brown is one of the heads of CAA’s basketball division and represents players such as Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes. Saratsis, who works with Octagon Sports, is best known for representing Giannis Antetokounmpo and also represents Bam Adebayo. Their appeal would come from relationships, and negotiation experience, but both would be unconventional hires.
Overall, whoever gets the job will inherit a complicated roster and an annoyed fan base. The Sixers faithful will be hopeful that whoever is the next lead executive has a roadmap that will lead Philadelphia to an era filled with playoff success.
Join The 76ersRoundtable
Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button under the featured story... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.
Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at dixonwesley286@gmail.com.