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Tag: Mike Gansey

  • Was Labaron Philon Jr. both the best pick of the night and ‘a terrible fit’ for the Sixers? Here’s what they’re saying.

    Was Labaron Philon Jr. both the best pick of the night and ‘a terrible fit’ for the Sixers? Here’s what they’re saying.

    Tuesday night marked the true start of the Mike Gansey era for the Sixers.

    After a season that saw the team’s playoff hopes end in a series sweep to the New York Knicks, the Sixers hired former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Gansey as their new president of basketball operations. The NBA draft was Gansey’s first attempt to improve last year’s roster, and he used his team’s only scheduled pick — No. 22 overall — on Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr.

    From being called the steal of the first round to concerns on how Philon will fit with the team, here’s everything they’re saying about the 76ers latest addition …

    Best pick of the night?

    Philon played two years at Alabama, making appearances in the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Sweet 16 as a sophomore before losing to Duke and Michigan, respectively. During his sophomore year, he averaged 22 points, 5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.

    Why Mike Gansey’s sound process in selecting Labaron Philon Jr. bodes well for Sixers’ future

    At ESPN, Bobby Marks listed Alabama’s former Mr. Basketball as the best pick of the night.

    “I ranked the Alabama guard as the 13th-best prospect in the draft,” Marks wrote. “What stood out for me is how Philon took the constructive criticism from the 2025 draft combine and applied it this past season. He improved his 3-point shooting from 32% to 40%.

    “The biggest takeaway is that NBA teams wanted to see Philon as a primary playmaker — he averaged 5.1 assists as a sophomore at Alabama. With the 76ers, Philon will join an explosive backcourt with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.”

    Labaron Philon Jr. arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)Adam Hunger

    ‘The upside is tremendous’

    As a freshman, Philon averaged 10.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals — earning SEC All-Freshman honors and becoming a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week. After his first year, he tested the NBA draft waters before ultimately deciding to return to school where he had a breakout sophomore season.

    “His stock did take a knock here over the past month or so,” said CBS Sports reporter Matt Norlander. “So there was a time where I thought his camp probably believed they would be somewhere in the top 16 or so. Instead, they fall into a really good situation, honestly. I do like the fit here with Mike Gansey now running the show in Philadelphia and did extensive work on him.

    “I’m of the opinion that if Philon puts it all together, I do think he’s going to be one of the 10-12 best players in this draft class when we check in five years from now. I’ve seen him in person plenty of times. He can be a blur with the ball. And knowing what his role is going to be, like, there’s some really established people there in Philadelphia. And being a wingman to Maxey amongst other players, I think it’s a really good value pick and I think the upside is tremendous.”

    First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

    ‘He could be a star’

    Philon dropping to the No. 22 pick surprised plenty of people, including former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins.

    “I think he dropped more than he should have, but I’m super excited for the kid,” Cousins said on Bleacher Report’s draft show. “He gets to learn behind Tyrese Maxey. They obviously pick up some more depth as far as guard play. I’m not mad at the pick. This is an exciting player. I think he’s going to be great in Philly. I think Philly will love him right away. He can fit next to a star or he could be a star, that’s the greatness that comes with Philon.”

    When asked if it could be the steal of the draft, Cousins responded: “It could be, possibly.”

    “Obviously, I don’t think you get to maximize him in his rookie year as much as you can because he plays behind a Tyrese Maxey and a VJ Edgecombe. So there’s not as much opportunity when you have those franchise guys in place. But, I think he could be a really, really good depth piece for this Philly team.”

    Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. (0) celebrates after a 3-point basket against Auburn last March. Vasha Hunt

    ‘A terrible fit for the Sixers’

    However, other analysts don’t believe Philon is the best fit for a Sixers team that already has Edgecombe and Maxey in its starting lineup.

    “I got two thoughts,” said Kevin O’Connor on Yahoo Sports! Draft Live show. “One, it is a good value pick for Philadelphia. Philon is a steal here from a pure player standpoint with his creation ability. He is a very good basketball player. But two, this is a terrible fit for the Sixers.

    The Sixers ‘couldn’t pass up’ Labaron Philon Jr. after he ‘fell in our lap’ at No. 22 overall in NBA draft

    “I mean, they’re just too small in the backcourt. You drafted VJ Edgecombe last year, he should be like your two, not your three. And now you have Maxey and Philon. That’s too small to play competitive playoff basketball.

    “So I think it raises the question for the Philadelphia 76ers, is this actually a team that cares about right now, competing today? Or is this purely a future-based move? Do they actually want to contend this year or not? … Are the Sixers actually serious about winning today with Philon? I think the answer very clearly is no.”

    The move comes four months after the Sixers traded Jared McCain for a bevy of picks, including the pick the team used on Philon. But some are wondering why make that trade only to replace McCain with a player that has similar deficiencies.

    “It’s not that [Philon]’s a bad pick, it’s just you can’t pass on a guy like Cameron Carr, who’s the perfect fit alongside Maxey and Edgecombe,” said 97.5 The Fanatic’s Sam Oshtry. “[Philon is] 6-foot-2. Nick Nurse couldn’t find minutes for Jared McCain because he was too small and couldn’t defend. You just added a 6-foot-2 guard to the rotation. Yeah, you needed guard depth. But this guy has no starting potential alongside Maxey and Edgecombe.”

    Overall grade: B+

    In terms of overall grades for the first-round pick, most outlets are giving the Sixers a very positive review, including a trio of B+ rankings …

    Bleacher Report (B+): “This is a tremendous value for the talent. That matters. It would just score a little higher if Philadelphia had more of an obvious opening for Philon.” — Zach Buckley

    The Athletic (B+): “A scoring guard with a splendid array of finishes, Philon should add some juice to the non-Tyrese Maxey minutes in Philly once he gets his NBA sea legs. The Sixers have no viable backup point guard at the moment, so Philon could play right away. Philon also ends up being the last in the wave of eight point guards who projected to go between picks No. 5 and No. 25.” — John Hollinger

    CBS Sports (B+): “Philon gives Philadelphia a dynamic scorer who attacks with pace, has worked his way into a shotmaker, and showed more defensive chops as a freshman. A gifted shot creator, Philon stuffed the stat sheet as the focal point of one of college basketball’s fastest offenses, and did it with 50/40/80 shooting splits. If he can tap back into some of the defensive tools he showed as a freshman, there could be real value here.” — Adam Finkelstein

    The Sixers may have snagged a draft sleeper in Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22
  • Why Mike Gansey’s sound process in selecting Labaron Philon Jr. bodes well for Sixers’ future

    Why Mike Gansey’s sound process in selecting Labaron Philon Jr. bodes well for Sixers’ future

    At the broadest, most general philosophical level, Mike Gansey aced his first test as Sixers president on Tuesday night. He looked at his draft board, saw a player he’d graded as the best talent by a significant margin, and then he selected that player. The process was sound.

    As insignificant as it may seem, plenty of front offices mess it up. They prioritize things like roster construction or positional fit and they allow motivated reasoning to cloud the reality that all of the perfect players are long gone by the 22nd pick in the NBA draft. You must defy the odds just to select a player who ends up deserving a spot in a playoff rotation, let alone one who can make a decisive impact at a position of need. In Labaron Philon Jr., a sophomore guard from Alabama, the Sixers saw a talent so obvious that they didn’t feel like there was a choice to make.

    “He’s someone that fell into our lap, so to speak,” Gansey said.

    The Sixers ‘couldn’t pass up’ Labaron Philon Jr. after he ‘fell in our lap’ at No. 22 overall in NBA draft

    Of course, the real test is whether they are right. Not just about Philon, a dynamic ballhandler and shooter who averaged 22 points per game last season and who some mock drafts had going in the top 15. Gansey and his front office must also be correct in their evaluations of the players they could have drafted instead of Philon. Zuby Ejiofor, Chris Cenac Jr., Joshua Jefferson, to name a few. Each of those three possesses the size that Philon lacks and that a roster like the Sixers’ will eventually need on the wing alongside Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Each went off the board in the six picks after Philon. Two of them went to Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls (Ejiofor to the Hawks at No. 23, Cenac to the Celtics at No. 27). History will be written by the teams that got it right.

    All you need to know about how the Sixers feel about Philon can be derived by the fact that they saw fit to draft him despite the overlap in skill sets with Maxey and Edgecombe and also the player they traded away for the pick they used to draft the Alabama guard. When Daryl Morey dealt Jared McCain to the Thunder with ownership’s approval, the thought was that the 2024 first-round pick’s long-term utility would be capped by his inability to play alongside two other smallish guards. He and Philon are hardly carbon copies of each other. Philon is a little longer in terms of standing reach and wingspan, and he is a quicker, more dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. But they both exist in the same general bucket, with the same limitations with regard to Maxey and Edgecombe.

    Sixers first-rounder Labaron Philon Jr. averaged 22 points in his final season at Alabama.Kyle Phillips

    Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of Tuesday’s first round, Gansey and Sixers coach Nick Nurse both spent a lot of time talking about how similar Philon is to Maxey and Edgecombe.

    “He’s another fast, kind of exciting guy that kind of plays a lot like Tyrese and VJ,” Nurse said. “It’s another guy with the speed, athleticism, quickness, deep range, some creativity with the ball. He’s a pretty good pick-and-roll player already, probably more advanced than a lot of guys coming out. I think he sees all the pieces of the pick-and-roll.”

    Nurse and Gansey both hemmed and hawed when asked whether they envisioned using all three of their young guards on the court at the same time.

    “I don’t see a lot of minutes, but maybe in certain situations we can,” Gansey said, while also deferring to Nurse.

    Nurse sounded equally skeptical.

    First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

    “I think it’s a little early to answer that,” he said.

    Both downplayed the significance of the question. Games are more than long enough to accommodate three guards playing starter minutes at staggered intervals. Maxey and Edgecombe both finished among the league leaders in playing time last season, perhaps counterproductively so. In a world where each averages 32 minutes per game, that would leave another 32 where one or the other is on the bench.

    “My mindset is he’s talented,” Nurse said of Philon. “Let’s figure out how we’re going to get him on the floor.”

    Nick Nurse and Mike Gansey saw a lot of similarities between new Sixer Labaron Philon Jr. (right) and VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey.Rogelio V. Solis

    The Sixers will have a good problem on their hands if Philon ends up good enough to warrant more minutes than are available. It will mean the minutes he does play are valuable. The Knicks won an NBA championship with Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, and Jose Alvarado. The Spurs had Dylan Harper playing starter minutes off the bench behind De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. The Thunder had a slew of guards contribute, including the smallish McCain and Cason Wallace.

    “You look at our roster, we need help at every position, one through five,” Gansey said. “Obviously, we have the big four, and I think he fits. He’s another guard so now we can kind of focus in other areas on the roster.”

    However Philon turns out, the pick does offer us a little more evidence on what to expect out of Gansey and this Sixers roster. They didn’t use the No. 22 pick to select a player who might someday help alleviate the roster’s clearest current need (size on the wing). They didn’t trade it for a veteran who might’ve made them better in the short term. They didn’t use it to entice a team to take on Paul George’s contract. They did what a team in their position should be doing. They had an opportunity to draft a player they think will someday belong in a championship-caliber rotation, and they availed themselves of that opportunity. That is how it is going to need to be done: piece by piece.

  • The Sixers ‘couldn’t pass up’ Labaron Philon Jr. after he ‘fell in our lap’ at No. 22 overall in NBA draft

    The Sixers ‘couldn’t pass up’ Labaron Philon Jr. after he ‘fell in our lap’ at No. 22 overall in NBA draft

    Mike Gansey made his first move as 76ers‘ president of basketball operations on Tuesday, selecting Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr., with the No. 22 overall pick.

    After his official introduction on June 11 as the team’s new leader, the draft was the first item on the docket. In his opening press conference, Gansey said explicitly that he viewed the 22nd overall pick as one of the critical tools to improve next year’s roster. He liked the range of players expected to be available for the Sixers at 22, but as the Alabama guard dropped down the board, he became the obvious choice.

    “He was the highest guy on our board at 22,” Gansey said. “We had him higher than that. You look at our roster, we need help in every position, one through five. Obviously we have the big four, but we need guys outside of it. I think he fits. He’s another guard, so now we focus in other areas on the roster, but he’s someone that just fell in our lap.”

    First-round pick Labaron Philon brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

    The guard played two seasons at Alabama, averaging 22 points, 5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in his sophomore season.

    Nick Nurse said he sees Philon as a player who “can play right away,” and the Sixers needed to add depth at every position. Tyrese Maxey averaged the most minutes per game in the NBA last season. VJ Edgecombe was 11th. Gansey said he doesn’t necessarily see Philon playing alongside those two in a three-guard lineup, but expects him to give both of those players more rest next season, and to get Maxey working off the ball more.

    Sixers head coach Nick Nurse needed more guard depth last season as Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe played big minures.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Philon was also the right culture fit with his competitiveness and hunger, Gansey said. He emphasized that he’s looking for “fountains, not drains.” and wants players who want to be in Philadelphia and will help build a team culture that’s been missing the last few seasons.

    “His mentality, I think fits the way I want guys, and especially with Coach Nurse,” Gansey said. “Nick wants guys who play the right way, play with some edge and toughness.”

    No. 22 overall was the only pick the Sixers owned heading into draft night, but it might not be the only selection the Sixers make in this year’s draft. Gansey said the team will “be aggressive” in attempting to trade back up into the second round if a player they like is available.

    The Sixers may have snagged a draft sleeper in Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22

    If the Sixers bypass the second round, free agency will be the team’s next big opportunity to improve the roster ahead of opening night.

    Picking Philon doesn’t necessarily mean that pending free agent Quentin Grimes is out the door, Gansey said, adding that the front office was engaged with both Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. as free agency approaches. But it does open up the opportunity for the Sixers to let Grimes walk and use that money to upgrade at other positions, if they so choose.

    “It just takes a little pressure off Tyrese and VJ, when you have another ballhandler,” Gansey said. “We’re going to have to get another ball handler too. We can’t rely on a rookie point guard, but I just think he’s just too talented, too young, that where he was at the draft, we couldn’t pass up.”

  • First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

    First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

    NEW YORK — The 76ers entered the NBA draft fresh off a playoff series that exposed their roster shortcomings.

    That decisive second-round sweep by the New York Knicks showed that the franchise needed to double down on what it received from cornerstones Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. They needed more speed, more scoring, more shooting, more rebounding, more everything.

    The Sixers’ first attempt at improving came with the selection of Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall on Tuesday, christening the Mike Gansey era as president of basketball operations.

    Sixers select Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick

    Let’s take a closer look at Philon’s career at Alabama, how he fits with the Sixers, and other areas of the Sixers’ roster that can still be addressed.

    What Philon brings to Philly

    Philon arrived at Alabama as a homegrown talent who proved to be a big-time scorer, earning Alabama’s Mr. Basketball high school honors.

    Before leaving town for Link Academy in Missouri for his senior season, Philon played three seasons at Baker High School in Mobile, Ala., and averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a junior. That scoring ability didn’t immediately translate to college in his freshman season at Alabama, when he averaged 10.6 points, 3.3. rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 37 games.

    Alabama’s Labaron Philon (right) averaged 10.6 points, 3.3. rebounds and 3.8 assists in 37 games as a freshman.Vasha Hunt

    Philon realized that he didn’t put together a strong enough campaign to enter the NBA. He went through the process and returned to school for another year, where his tape was more undeniable. As a sophomore, Philon averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5 assists. That was good enough to get buzz as a lottery pick before dropping to the Sixers at No. 22.

    Philon’s skill set features a crafty handle, ability to finish at the rim, and shooting range from deep. He can function in the screen-and-roll and is creative in open space. He made 57.4% of his two-pointers and 39.9% of his three-pointers last season, and those numbers are made more impressive by the fact that Philon was often the center of attention for Alabama and created a large share of his own shots.

    Why Mike Gansey’s sound process in selecting Labaron Philon Jr. bodes well for Sixers’ future

    Most important, Philon’s numbers weren’t empty calories. His production contributed to winning in both seasons for the Crimson Tide, as he helped direct a team that made the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Sweet 16 this past season. Each time his team met a No. 1 seed, losing to Cooper Flagg’s Duke team in 2024-25 and eventual champion Michigan in 2025-26.

    How Philon fits in Philly

    The Sixers have too many holes to fill in one draft. They entered Tuesday with voids in the backcourt and frontcourt. The franchise hit on Maxey and Edgecombe in recent drafts, but those stellar guards were near the top of the league in minutes played. Paul George and Embiid played inspired basketball at times when available, but they were not healthy nearly enough. George played only 37 games because of injury and suspension and Embiid called his 38 games played a “successful season” after he managed 19 games the season before.

    From AJ Dybantsa’s Paris-made suit to monochromatic looks, here were the best outfits from the NBA draft

    There were several players on the board who could have helped the Sixers when the 22nd pick rolled arrived. And several of them were names that slipped down the board as Arizona’s Koa Peat, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., and Philon were available. The Sixers appeared to take the best player available, as president of basketball operations Mike Gansey intimated that they would.

    During the draft process, Iowa sharpshooter Bennet Stirtz, who was picked 16th and joined former Sixer Jared McCain with the Oklahoma City Thunder, made a poignant statement. He said every team can use more shooters and ballhandlers. That’s what Philon will bring to Philly, another player who can create and score when Maxey goes to the bench.

    He’s adept at getting downhill and making buckets in the midrange and over bigger bodies, which will be needed on a Sixers team that received most of its scoring from four players. That he is a strong three-point shooter will be a bigger boon for the Sixers after trading McCain at the deadline in February and struggling to make shots from deep in the postseason.

    Alabama guard Labaron Philon (right) shot 39.9% from three as a sophomore.Vasha Hunt

    The Sixers also trotted Edgecombe out as a secondary ballhandler often in his rookie season. But that typically amounted to him creating offense for himself or initiating and getting out of the way. There wasn’t much in between as he continues to improve his ballhandling. Philon can take some of that pressure off Edgecombe and do more to find Embiid and George, who have grown more dependent on their teammates to get them the ball at this time of their careers.

    What the Sixers still need to address

    Rebounding was a major issue for the Sixers last season. As was on-ball defense and communication. As were turnovers. Those things won’t all be addressed in the draft or free agency. The Sixers can add reinforcements at forward to lower the usage of a smaller lineup around Embiid. They can also retain Kelly Oubre Jr. or Quentin Grimes to keep depth and talent on the wings.

    But because of their contract obligations, there are some things that can only be fixed from within. Maxey, George, and Embiid are all on max contracts, limiting who the Sixers can add to the roster. That means those players will have to do more. It’s hard to ask Maxey to be better than he was during the regular season, when he carried the franchise to the playoffs and earned All-Star and third-team All-NBA honors. That leaves George and Embiid, whose availability will remain the biggest factor in this team’s success.

  • The Sixers start the Mike Gansey era with the 22nd pick. Here’s where we stand hours before draft night.

    The Sixers start the Mike Gansey era with the 22nd pick. Here’s where we stand hours before draft night.

    NEW YORK — Dailyn Swain posted a photo of the Philly skyline on his Instagram story last week.

    The Texas wing was in town for a predraft workout with the Sixers and “the city was alive,” Swain recalled, because his visit coincided with Friday’s World Cup match between Brazil and Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field.

    Swain has since joined several fellow first-round prospects at a luxury New York City hotel for the final stretch before being selected Tuesday night at Barclays Center. He is still among the possibilities to be chosen by the Sixers, who enter Tuesday with the 22nd overall pick in a loaded draft and new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey at the helm.

    “I’m very emotional,” Swain said. “I know once I hear my name, it’s going to be a surreal feeling … I’m trying to enjoy the moment.”

    What can the Sixers expect with the No. 22 draft pick? Past drafts illustrate the unpredictability.

    This draft class is packed with top-level talent — AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer are all worthy of the No. 1 pick, experts say — as well as depth throughout the first round. That means interesting options should be available, at all position groups, if the Sixers remain at 22.

    It is the first roster-building move for Gansey, whom the Sixers hired earlier this month to oversee daily front-office operations for a team that finished seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, stormed back to upset the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round, then were swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.

    Though Gansey joined the Sixers’ draft preparation late, he ran that process in his previous job as general manager for a Cleveland Cavaliers franchise that was scouting for this year’s 29th pick. When asked during his introductory news conference about his overall draft philosophy, Gansey said the Sixers will make their selection based on a combination of best player available and fit.

    Mike Gansey will handle his first big decisions as Sixers president of basketball operations during Tuesday’s draft. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The Sixers held in-person workouts in Philly last Tuesday and Friday. Versatile Santa Clara forward Allen Graves and Duke sharpshooter Isaiah Evans confirmed Monday that they were among the participants, while a source confirmed to The Inquirer that Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr., also was in attendance. Physical forwards Koa Peat of Arizona and Zuby Ejiofor of St. John’s also were reportedly part of those workouts. Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz said Monday that he has had two interviews with the Sixers.

    So Monday became a quest to mine the tiniest tidbits from those prospects in media scrums. Evans said his workout with the Sixers was with Swain, and that current Sixers VJ Edgecombe and Justin Edwards also were in the gym. Graves praised the Sixers’ “amazing” facilities in Camden. Stirtz said that, while watching the playoffs, he recognized how he could “release pressure” off standout guards Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe with his outside shooting.

    “I create space out there on the floor,” said Stirtz, who is projected to go a bit higher than 22nd. “Every team needs another ballhandler and shooter.”

    Mike Gansey should consider drafting Zuby Ejiofor at No. 22, or trading up for Morez Johnson, or …

    Gansey kept some continuity within the Sixers’ front office — including the recently promoted Jameer Nelson — that has executed successful recent drafts. It picked Maxey 21st in 2020, and Jared McCain 16th and Adem Bona in the second round in 2024. Even Paul Reed, Isaiah Joe, and Julian Champagne, who have gone on to succeed with other playoff teams, were either selected in the second round or signed as an undrafted free agent. In 2023, the Sixers traded the 23rd overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for guard DeAnthony Melton, a key role player for two seasons when healthy.

    “I’m excited to learn from them,” Gansey said of the remaining front office, “and, obviously, put my vision and put my imprint on the draft. … and try to get the best person and player for the Sixers.”

    As of Monday night, the Sixers do not have a pick in Wednesday’s second round. Yet what they do Tuesday will help dictate how they approach free agency, which begins the evening of June 30. Starting wing Kelly Oubre Jr., sixth man Quentin Grimes, and reserve big man Andre Drummond are all unrestricted free agents. And the Sixers have limited financial flexibility with Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George on max contracts for multiple seasons.

    Sixers guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are among a long list of recent draft successes for a team that didn’t draft well historically. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    For the prospects assembled Monday in New York City, however, the wait for their NBA destination is almost over. Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who spent his teenage years in Pennsauken and is projected to go somewhere in the middle of the first round, half-jokingly called these final hours “really, really awful.”

    “I’m feeling emotion in the book,” he said Monday. “But I’m getting very impatient, in a way. I want to know where I’m going.”

    The same likely could be said for the Sixers, now beginning the Gansey era with the 22nd overall pick.

  • Three offseason questions for the Sixers after the hiring of Mike Gansey, starting with Elton Brand

    Three offseason questions for the Sixers after the hiring of Mike Gansey, starting with Elton Brand

    The 76ers’ first major offseason task has been completed, after Mike Gansey was introduced Monday as the new president of basketball operations.

    “It’s just one good decision at a time as far as [creating] change,” said president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Bob Myers, who led Gansey’s hiring process.

    Additional obvious offseason checkpoints will be tackled in the coming weeks. The Sixers hold the No. 22 overall pick in the June 23 NBA draft, which was Gansey’s specialty in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager. Shortly after that is free agency, which the Sixers are expected to enter with limited financial flexibility with three players on max contracts.

    Yet here are some more subtle questions still lingering following Gansey’s hiring:

    Elton Brand is expected to transition to another role and title with the Sixers.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    What will Elton Brand’s role/title become?

    Brand was not spotted during Gansey’s news conference, evidence of the decision that Brand will not continue as general manager.

    Brand had previously been the front office’s top decision maker, before taking a step back to the No. 2 role when Daryl Morey was hired as president of basketball operations in 2020. Still, Brand was respected inside and outside the organization, and turned down interest from other teams to stay with the Sixers in past years.

    But now Jameer Nelson has been promoted to that No. 2 front office spot, while Brand is expected to transition to another role and title. What exactly will those responsibilities entail? And how visible will he be moving forward?

    Nick Nurse will be back for a fourth season as Sixers coach. Will his coaching staff look any different?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Any other changes to the front office or coaching staff?

    The most candid comments during Monday’s media availabilities came from Myers, who said the Sixers need an identity.

    They were mediocre on both ends of the floor in 2025-26, ranking 16th in offensive efficiency (114.3 points per 100 possessions) and 17th in defensive efficiency (114.4 points allowed per 100 possessions) during a 45-37 regular season. Rebounding and three-point shooting were particularly glaring issues, especially during the playoffs.

    It is unlikely that the Sixers can make fixes by immediately overhauling the roster, given how Joel Embiid (32) and Paul George’s (36) ages and health struggles make their max contracts difficult to trade. The best short-term outcome might be that those two former perennial All-Stars play more than the 75 combined games they suited up for during this past regular season, allowing the potential this team flashed during its first-round upset of the Boston Celtics to sustain.

    Mike Gansey ran the Cavaliers’ draft. Now, he must infuse that expertise with the Sixers.

    As far as additional nonplayer personnel changes, it is possible that Gansey does not make any prominent new front office hires for his first season.

    In addition to Nelson’s promotion, vice president of player personnel Prosper Karangwa has agreed to a contract extension, The Inquirer confirmed. Assistant general managers Ned Cohen and Fan-Hal Kuong, plus Delaware Blue Coats general manager Ariana Andonian, got shout outs from Gansey during Monday’s news conference.

    On the coaching staff, Nick Nurse obviously will be back for a fourth season. But are there any possible changes in the assistant ranks to address shortcomings on either end of the floor?

    Last year, for example, Coby Karl did not return (neither did Bobby Jackson, who took an assistant job with the Sacramento Kings). And Mike Longabardi was promoted from Blue Coats head coach to the Sixers’ bench, where he took on defensive responsibilities.

    Job movement from the front office and coaching ranks continues throughout the offseason, and can often be triggered by other teams.

    Mike Gansey says he wants to build a positive work environment with the Sixers.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    How will Gansey establish his culture?

    Gansey’s go-to saying Monday was that he wants “fountains, not drains” — aka people who enhance the work environment instead of suck the life out of it. He wants employees to enjoy coming to the facility, to create alignment through communication and collaboration, and to add players who want to be Sixers.

    The most cynical outsider could define those words as workplace culture jargon. And shifting that in a meaningful way is a challenge with this organization, which has a reputation of instability, at best. One could argue that always stems from the top — no matter who is in key basketball leadership roles — and ownership has not changed.

    Still, it will be interesting to monitor how Gansey aims to set his organizational tone in these initial months. Do things feel tangibly different with young players around for much of the summer, then when everybody reconvenes for informal workouts and training camp?

  • Mike Gansey ran the Cavaliers’ draft. Now, he must infuse that expertise with the Sixers.

    Mike Gansey ran the Cavaliers’ draft. Now, he must infuse that expertise with the Sixers.

    When asked about his strengths as a leader, new 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey mostly provided generic examples during Monday’s introductory news conference.

    He called himself a “connector” who can build relationships with players, agents, and staffers at all levels of the organization. He said he managed the Cleveland Cavaliers’ day-to-day front office operations as the general manager under that team’s president of basketball operations, Koby Altman. Gansey added that he believed in creating “alignment” throughout the whole Sixers’ facility, along with a positive work environment.

    Perhaps the one tangible responsibility Gansey revealed about his time in Cleveland?

    “I ran the draft,” he said.

    Jameer Nelson wants to be ‘part of the solution’ for the Sixers. His promotion provides an opportunity to do that ‘at home.’

    Consider it fortuitous timing that this is Gansey’s first roster-building checkpoint with the Sixers. They have the 22nd overall pick on June 23, which was acquired in the controversial Jared McCain trade executed by former lead executive Daryl Morey. Now, Gansey will aim to blend in with a group of front-office executives who have already done significant prospect evaluation — and “drafted really, really well” in past years, he said — while infusing his own expertise.

    “I’m excited to learn from them,” Gansey said, “and, obviously, put my vision and put my imprint on the draft. … We’re going to dive into that the next two weeks, and try to get the best person and player for the Sixers.”

    This year’s draft is not as high-profile as when the Sixers selected VJ Edgecombe, who instantly became a standout rookie, third overall last summer. Still, there is a sense of urgency less than two weeks before this selection.

    Gansey’s first task, according to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers, is getting his bearings with a Sixers front office that still features continuity even with former general manager Elton Brand expected to transition into a new role and title. Jameer Nelson was elevated to executive vice president of basketball operations, while vice president of player personnel Prosper Karangwa agreed to a contract extension, The Inquirer confirmed. Gansey also mentioned assistant general managers Ned Cohen and Fan-Hal Kuong and Blue Coats general manager Ariana Andonian by name during his introductory news conference.

    Mike Gansey made his first appearance as Sixers president of basketball operations during a news conference on Monday.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Myers said Gansey must learn nuances such as how much the Sixers lean on analytics in prospect evaluation in comparison to his 15 years working his way up with the Cavaliers, or how much input scouts and coach Nick Nurse will have. And though Myers added that the Sixers will explore possible trades for the pick, “usually you end up drafting, [that’s] the truth,” he said.

    “It’s really getting an understanding,” Myers said of Gansey’s approach, “of, ‘OK, we did it this way in Cleveland. How do you guys do it?’ And working together to this group.”

    The Sixers’ draft picks in recent years include McCain at 16th overall and Adem Bona in the second round in 2024. Recently anointed All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey went 21st in a bizarre, COVID-impacted 2020 draft, a pick Nelson on Monday acknowledged that, “We got lucky with the person. We got lucky with the player.” When the Sixers had the 23rd pick in 2022, they traded it for DeAnthony Melton, a successful two-way role player when healthy for two seasons.

    “At 22, you want to get a combination of best player available and fit with our roster,” Gansey said when asked about his overall draft philosophy.

    The Mike Gansey era has begun. Where do the Sixers go from here?

    Gansey’s Cleveland draft successes include using the No. 20 pick in 2024 on Jaylon Tyson, who started 42 games this past season and was a tenacious defender against Maxey. The Cavaliers used a second-round pick last year on Tyrese Proctor, a veteran guard on the Cooper Flagg-Kon Knueppel Duke team who then played in 50 games as a rookie for Cleveland. The Cavaliers also signed Dean Wade as an undrafted free agent in 2019, then developed him into a rotation player.

    Since Gansey was preparing to select 29th with the Cavaliers prior to landing the Sixers job, Myers assured that, “It’s not like he’s sitting there going, ‘I don’t know who any of these guys are.’” The new-look front office’s decision that night will then lead into how it approaches free agency, which opens June 30.

    So it was understandable why Gansey was ready to move past the hubbub of Monday’s formal introduction in Philly.

    Because his roster-building specialty awaits.

    “I’m ready to kind of get today over with and go for the draft,” Gansey said, “because we’re two weeks away.”

  • The Mike Gansey era has begun. Where do the Sixers go from here?

    The Mike Gansey era has begun. Where do the Sixers go from here?

    Really, there wasn’t anything that Mike Gansey could have said that would have changed the expectations for the 76ers.

    Which is good, because he didn’t say much.

    Gansey’s first news conference as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations offered little in the way of detail about the team’s path forward. He acknowledged that Joel Embiid and Paul George are players who are currently on the Sixers roster. He noted that Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are, too. He explained that he and his front office will attempt to select the best possible player with the No. 22 pick in the NBA draft later this month. You could say Gansey’s plan was short on specifics, except there weren’t many generalities, either.

    “I just got here,” the 43-year-old Ohio native and longtime Cleveland Cavaliers personnel man said at one point while prefacing one of his comments.

    All of this was to be expected. Smart, even. There is some short-term value a new hire can reap from winning the first news conference. But it often is outweighed by potential long-term damage he can sow. Look at Gansey’s three immediate predecessors. Each was haunted, even undone, by the narrative they sold at the outset.

    Sam Hinkie’s biggest problem wasn’t The Process itself. It was his explicit acknowledgment of it. Daryl Morey was ultimately defined by his unabashed and steadfast belief in the power of veteran superstars rather than his draft night successes. In between was Bryan Colangelo, who went all-in for Markelle Fultz as the Sixers launched a Welcome to the Moment marketing campaign.

    There were no slogans from Gansey on Monday. The surest sign that the Sixers have entered a new era is that we have no clue what it will look like. For more than a decade, the team has conducted its day-to-day business within the framework of a grand and easily articulated strategic vision. The Morey/Colangelo years were as well-defined a process as Hinkie’s capital-P Process years. Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, James Harden, George, every veteran backup center who used to be an All-Star. Star hunting, in the mortally immortal words of Brett Brown.

    Gansey, meanwhile, explained his vision only in the broadest, most abstract terms. He spoke of a desire to create “alignment” throughout the organization and remarked that he expected that he and coach Nick Nurse would be “attached at the hip.” On a couple of occasions, Gansey said he wanted to build an organization with people who are “fountains, not drains.”

    “We’ve got to do the work, you know?” Gansey said. “Obviously, draft coming up, for example, you’re talking to plenty of coaches, people that have been around these guys, and you want to bring in good people here. If they don’t want to be here, or you don’t feel they can fit with our culture, then we don’t want it. We want people that want to be in Philadelphia and we want guys that — I want competitiveness. I want toughness. I want guys that hate to lose. Those are the kind of people I’m going to try and target and want to bring onto this roster.”

    Mike Gansey expects to be “attached at the hip” with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The first part of that comment is the important part. The Sixers have no magic bullet to shoot nor rabbit to pull. They likely are going to need to build a team the old-fashioned way. With Embiid and George under contract at roughly $115 million per year combined for the next two seasons, the most the Sixers can spend in free agency is $15 million (via the nontaxpayer mid-level exception) plus minimum-level contracts.

    “I don’t look at it as a timeline,” Gansey said. “I just look at like we have those four and we got to maximize those four. Obviously, VJ and Tyrese are younger, but Paul and Joel can still play at a high level. We were 24-14 when Joel played, and obviously the playoffs coming back from Boston. Like, we got to rely on those four and obviously keep [them] on the floor and then just build around them.”

    The important work over these next couple of seasons could look a lot like the roster grind Gansey helped preside over during his time with the Cavaliers, when he was Cleveland’s point man on the draft and related talent. Two rotation members from this year’s Eastern Conference finals team were Dean Wade, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and Sam Merrill, initially signed to a 10-day contract in 2023. A third, Jaylon Tyson, was selected at No. 20 overall two years ago.

    Mike Gansey plans to build around Sixers’ current core while growing the team’s culture

    One of the shrewder value plays swung by Cavs president Koby Altman during Gansey’s time with the team was the signing of restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen to a four-year, $67 million contract via a three-way sign-and-trade with the Cavs and Chicago Bulls. One year later, the Cavs made Markkenen the centerpiece of a trade package (along with three firsts and two pick swaps) that landed them star guard Donovan Mitchell. Two years later, Markkanen signed a five-year max contract extension with the Jazz.

    The most intriguing variable in the Sixers’ strategic decision-making is a competitive landscape that could be on the verge of shifting dramatically in the favor of teams such as theirs. In the new framework, a team that narrowly misses the playoffs would have better lottery odds than the four worst teams in the league, meaning the Sixers won’t have much of an incentive to bottom out or blow it up to maximize their chances of a successful rebuild.

    Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers (right) helped hire Mike Gansey and will work closely with him. At left is Sixers managing partner Josh Harris.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The dominant operating strategy for the next few years would seem to be playing it smart but honest: prioritize the three-to-five-year-plan while making this year’s team as good as possible within the constraints. The Eastern Conference landscape likely will get a lot tougher next season. With Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton returning to the 2024-25 Eastern Conference champs and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum fully recovered from Achilles surgery, the East should have at least three teams (including the New York Knicks) well out of reach of the Sixers.

    That doesn’t include the Detroit Pistons or the Cavs, both of whom have a 60-win season within the last two years. Nor does it include the Miami Heat, who are a perpetual threat to shake up the offseason, especially with a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade lurking. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets ended the season on runs of 26-11 and 28-12. Factor in a talented Orlando Magic roster that underperformed in 2026, and the Sixers easily could enter the season as the eighth- or ninth-best team on paper, regardless of what they do this offseason.

    “We’ve got to find an identity,” said Bob Myers, the longtime Golden State Warriors executive who hired Gansey and will work in conjunction with him as president of sports at Sixers parent company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. “We just don’t have one.”

    At this point, there isn’t much else to say.

  • Mike Gansey plans to build around Sixers’ current core while growing the team’s culture: ‘I want fountains, not drains’

    Mike Gansey plans to build around Sixers’ current core while growing the team’s culture: ‘I want fountains, not drains’

    The 76ers need to establish an identity, Bob Myers said Monday.

    That’s the central task ahead of new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who will look to bring the Sixers past the second-round hump and build them into a true championship contender.

    When asked if the franchise was committed to Joel Embiid in the long-term, Gansey said that he considers Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Paul George the four tentpoles of the roster in the short-term.

    “We have those four and we’ve got to maximize those four,” Gansey said. “Obviously [Edgecombe] and [Maxey] are younger, but [George] and [Embiid] can still play at a high level. We were 24-14 when Joel played, and obviously in the playoffs, coming back from Boston. We’ve got to rely on those four, and obviously keep them on the floor, and then just build around them.”

    The Sixers were not elite offensively or defensively last season — they ranked in the middle of the league in both offensive (17th) and defensive (16th) rating — and the new leadership group wants to change that.

    Mike Gansey will have one big question to answer as his Sixers tenure begins | David Murphy

    But getting their stars on the floor at the same time is easier said than done. Myers cosigned that to establish a team identity, the Sixers need to have their top four guys, namely Embiid and George, who both missed significant chunks of the last two seasons, all on the floor together.

    “In order to see what we are, we’ve got to be on the floor, right?” said Myers, president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and the head of the search that led to the Sixers hiring Gansey. “You have to have a consistent product on the floor, and maybe that’s not good enough, or maybe it is, but we’ve got to figure out what are we, what can we stand on as a team.”

    Mike Gansey (center) was introduced to the Philadelphia media Monday by managing partner Josh Harris (left) and president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Bob Myers (right).Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Myers referenced Embiid’s comments that the season was “successful” because he felt like he’d worked past the knee issues that hampered him for several years. Embiid has no scheduled surgeries this summer and the Sixers hope he can use the offseason to build instead of recover.

    But Embiid has missed more games than he’s played in his NBA career, partially due to just exceptionally bad injury luck, like last season’s appendectomy, or an orbital fracture or a bout with Bell’s palsy. Embiid has never played 70 games in a season, and hasn’t played more than half the games in a year since his MVP campaign in 2022-23.

    “He’s too important, and we are a top heavy team, right?” Myers said. “That’s just what it is. Look at the contracts. We need those guys to play, and you need depth underneath it. The league has changed, so we need both, but to experience what this team is, we need a healthy roster in training camp.”

    New Sixers president Mike Gansey has a tall task ahead. His former WVU teammates, coach, and even bus driver say he’s ready.

    The other aspect of building a team identity is through the internal culture of the organization. Gansey said explicitly that the Sixers roster is not championship caliber as it stands, but “we’re going to do everything we can to bring in players that fit” in order to build that roster.

    “I want guys that want to be in Philly, first and foremost,” Gansey said of his roster construction philosophy. “… I want fountains, not drains. I want guys with high character, guys with high work ethics, and guys that want to be in Philadelphia.”

    Gansey also said it was “a sticking point” for him to keep Jameer Nelson on and promote him to executive vice president of basketball operations. As a Chester native and former St. Joe’s star, Nelson knows the culture of basketball in the city in a way no one else in the organization does.

    Mike Gansey speaks to the Philadelphia media Monday as his wife Amy and their four children sit in the front row.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    With the draft at the end of the month, Gansey’s first big task will be to add another piece that can hopefully make an impact for the Sixers next year. Gansey did not delve too deeply into his draft philosophy, but said that at No. 22 he would consider both best fit and best player available.

    But it’s not just about getting the pick right. It’s also about what the Sixers do from there. The team has come under scrutiny recently for its struggles in keeping and developing players. This year’s NBA conference finals featured several ex-Sixers, including former draft picks Jared McCain, Landry Shamet, Isaiah Joe, and even Mikal Bridges, though he never suited up for Philly.

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    Now in Philly, Gansey hopes to fix that — starting with some of the players already on the roster.

    “The big part is just internal development, with Tyrese, VJ, and some of our other young guys, like they’ve got to get better too,” Gansey said.