Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Ujiri, Johnson, Nets

Adding Jerry Colangelo to their front office has changed the Sixers‘ timetable for success, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia hired Colangelo in December as chairman of basketball operations and gave him a three-year contract to run the team. That’s the deadline he has imposed for being “very competitive,” which he defines as more than just reaching the playoffs. The Sixers are 8-45, but will have plenty of opportunity to improve this summer. The franchise will have lots of cap space and as many as four first-round draft picks. “I would hope that the Sixers are in a lot better shape than what they were from the time I started,” Colangelo said. “That only means if I can help contribute to an improvement of the franchise. That’s why I’m there.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

• Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is working to make a deal before the deadline, but is concerned about disrupting team chemistry, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. At 35-17 and trailing only Cleveland in the East, the Raptors are on pace for the best season in team history.
• Toronto should hang on to the first-round picks it owns from New York and Denver, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Both picks have a chance of landing in the lottery, which could make the Raptors an elite team for years to come. Marks believes Toronto should listen to offers for its own first-rounder, along with small forward James Johnson, who will be a free agent this summer.
• The Clippers currently have the sixth-best record in the NBA, which will affect the Nets in the draft if it holds, tweets NetsDaily. The Clippers have the right to swap second-round picks with Brooklyn, but only if their own pick falls between 31 and 55. If L.A. stays where it is now, the Nets will have to trade the 33rd pick for the 55th.