Bryan Colangelo’s future as the general manager of the 76ers is unclear. There are some reports saying that many around the league expect him to be released by the team soon while others claim that Colangelo is actively fighting for his job. If Colangelo is fired by the team, someone will need to be named as his replacement soon with such a huge offseason ahead of them. Let’s take a look at some potential replacements who can effectively take over as the new GM of the team.
1) Marc Eversley
Marc Eversley is the current Vice President of Player Personnel for the 76ers. Eversley actually worked for Bryan Colangelo in Toronto as an assistant general manager. He was also the Vice President of Scouting for the Wizards from 2013-2016 until he was hired by Colangelo when he took over for Sam Hinkie. Eversley is very talented when it comes to scouting players, one thing that the 76ers have always admired. He was even in the running for the GM job in Charlotte until they hired Mitch Kupchak. Don’t be too surprised if you see the Sixers promote Eversley and try to fill the GM position from within.
2) David Griffin
David Griffin is one of the hottest names attached to the 76ers because of his relationship with LeBron James, who the Sixers are expected to pursue this offseason. Griffin was the GM of the Cavaliers when they won their 2016 NBA Championship. Griffin has a solid relationship with LeBron and would probably be very open to a reunion with The King in Philly.
3) Michael Zarren
Michael Zarren is the Assistant General Manager of the Boston Celtics. He is widely considered to be a leader in the field of advanced analytics, something that former beloved Sixers GM Sam Hinkie was known for. Analytics are a fast growing part of our game. It would make a lot of sense to add someone with experience in that field. Maybe Zarren can even bring some of that Danny Ainge trade magic with him to Philly.
4) Malik Rose
Malik Rose is a former NBA player as well as Sixers TV broadcaster from 2011-2015. In 2015 he was hired as the Manager of Basketball Operations for the Atlanta Hawks. He was later promoted to the general manager of the Hawks G-League team, the Erie BayHawks, and was named the G-League’s Basketball Executive of the Year in his first season with the team. He could be someone that flies under the radar with bigger names in the mix for the GM job.
5) Shane Battier
Shane Battier is also a former NBA player and championship winner. More notably, he was a former teammate of LeBron James. “He’s probably the number one smartest basketball player and person I’ve been around”, said LeBron in 2012. Battier is currently the Director of Basketball Development and Analytics for the Miami Heat, the team that he won 2 championships with LeBron on. He is someone who is comfortable with the analytics of the game and can adapt to a new situation. Battier was in the running for the Detroit Pistons front office job but dropped out a few days ago. He is someone, like Rose, who could be overshadowed by big names but still be given strong consideration.
6) Sam Hinkie
I’m just kidding. Hinkie is very happy working as an analytic consultant for the Denver Broncos of the NFL. We can still dream though, right?
Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
