After weeks of speculation, the Philadelphia 76ers finally followed through on the string of front office shakeups they commenced after their season ended, installing assistant general manager Jameer Nelson as their newest team vice president, whereas Elton Brand, who has been at the helm for the franchise since the 2018-19 season, will not return as their general manager.
While the change was rather expected (especially after the ouster of Daryl Morey), the 76ers might have explained more with this move than they would like to admit. In some way, this feels like some sort of a punishment handed down on Brand who –– both independently and in tandem with Morey –– orchestrated some head-scratching decisions that set the franchise back.
ESPN's Shams Charania has bared that Brand is not completely out of the loop in Philly moving forward as he is expected to remain with the franchise and their parent company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, in some capacity. Be that as it may, his exit as GM effectively takes him out of the decision-making circle for the team, and that is probably a net positive in the grand scheme of things.
The 76ers moving on from Elton Brand feels a lot more personal than advertised
Brand was promoted shortly before the training camp in the 2018-19 season to help stabilize the front office after the infamous Bryan Colangelo saga which sent shockwaves around the league. Under his wing, the 76ers have had one of the most consistent winning programs in the NBA, although their inability to make a deep postseason run is a colossal asterisk they have yet to get rid of.
While not everything is imputable to the former NBA star, Brand certainly had a hand on some of the worst decisions this franchise has made in recent years even before the notorious big name-hunter Morey step foot in Philly.
Brand was he chief decision-maker when the 76ers made a blockbuster swap forJimmy Butler, who ended up spending just half a season in Philly. The team messed up extension talks with the All-Star, who then went on to play in the Finals twice for his next ball club.
There was also the trade for Tobias Harris which was made uglier by the albatross contract he was rewarded with largely for the purpose of saving face after losing Butler. As everyone knows, that aged pretty badly for the 76ers.
The now-former GM was also the one who lured Al Horford to join the 76ers. Right from the get-go, the fit with Joel Embiid was messy, and it culminated in an unceremonious one-year partnership that even cost them some draft picks to get out of.
All in all, Elton Brand had way too many lapses as a decision-maker which justifies his unhindered exit from the 76ers. Hopefully, with their next general manager, the same mistakes will not be repeated and stability will ensue up top.
