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Latest Fallout From Sam Hinkie Resignation

April 7th, 2016 at 4:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sam Hinkie had been considering his future with the Sixers organization over the past few weeks and decided that he wasn’t comfortable with the team’s plan for his future, which in turn led to him resigning on Wednesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical relays. The now former GM emailed his letter of resignation to the team’s ownership group as well as executive Jerry Colangelo, with the intention of releasing a joint announcement today, Wojnarowski writes. But the letter was leaked to the media within two hours, which eliminated Hinkie’s opportunity to inform his staff directly of his intent. It isn’t known who leaked the 13 page manifesto, but according to Wojnarowski’s sources, Hinkie suspects that it was Colangelo who made his resignation public. Hinkie was reportedly mortified that his letter was leaked, as he never intended it for public dissemination, Wojnarowski adds.

Here’s more regarding Hinkie and the Sixers:

Colangelo wanted to turn Hinkie into a glorified director of analytics, or run him out of the organization completely, a plan that wasn’t well-received by the entire ownership group, many of whom remain loyal to Hinkie, Wojnarowski notes in the same piece. Some of the owners believe that Hinkie’s rebuilding plan would begin to bear fruit this offseason and wanted to give him more time to see it through, the Vertical scribe relays.
The Sixers had suggested to Hinkie prior to the 2015/16 season that he hire someone who would handle the media and build relationships around the league with agents, players and GMs, a request that Hinkie wasn’t responsive or amenable to, John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com writes.
In his resignation letter, Hinkie insinuated that many within the organization cared more about making a profit than building a winning franchise, chiefly CEO Scott O’Neil, Gonzalez suggests in the same piece. “With Scott O’Neil running our business operations, you are in good hands,” Hinkie said in his letter. “I can assure you that when your team is eventually able to compete deep into May, Scott will ably and efficiently separate the good people of the Delaware Valley from their wallets on your behalf. Worry not.”
Sixers coach Brett Brown was disappointed that Hinkie stepped down but noted that the plan to bring in more front office personnel had been in place for some time, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly relays in a series of tweets. The coach also added that the team’s rebuilding plan is still intact, Camerato notes. “We committed to the path that we said we were going to be on three years ago. We’re committed to that,” said Brown.
Brown said that Hinkie hadn’t committed to the front office’s new collaborative process and believed a departure by the executive was a distinct possibility, though he didn’t expect things to come to a head so rapidly, tweets Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine.

Atlantic Notes: Hinkie, Wroten, Larranaga, Clarke

March 29th, 2016 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Sixers GM Sam Hinkie is neither wonderful nor terrible, and the team would be unwise to cut ties with him completely in the wake of the marginalization of his role, opines Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News. His autonomy is gone in the wake of the team’s hiring of Jerry Colangelo as chairman of basketball operations, but Hinkie, through his collection of draft assets and other promising young talent, is an asset himself, Hayes argues. Hinkie has said he isn’t worried about his job security, even though the Sixers are reportedly considering a move that would further reduce his role.

See more from the Atlantic Division:

Tony Wroten‘s minimum-salary pact with the Knicks is non-guaranteed for next season, but a $25K partial guarantee kicks in if he’s still under contract at the end of October 1st, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). That partial guarantee would increase to $125K if he sticks through opening night and jump to $345K if he makes it through December 15th, Pincus also shows.
Georgia Tech has reached out to Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga about the school’s head coaching job, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. The well-respected Larranaga interviewed for the Sixers job three years ago and has drawn mention as a potential candidate for other NBA openings since. Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reported last year that Larranaga wouldn’t leave the Celtics for a college job, but it’s unclear if that’s still his stance.
Coty Clarke has returned to the D-League affiliate of the Celtics following the expiration of his second 10-day contract with Boston’s NBA club, reports Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Rambis, Galloway, Clarke

March 28th, 2016 at 3:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo has an in with plenty of NBA stars as managing director of USA Basketball, but it’s off-base to suggest marquee players will flock to the Sixers anytime soon because of that, contends Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine. The Sixers are too far from contention to become the rare NBA team capable of convincing top-flight free agents to take discounts to sign with them, Bodner argues, suggesting the onus instead is on Colangelo and the rest of the Philly front office to make wise choices without any inherent advantage. The year ahead is critical for Colangelo and the Sixers, as Liberty Ballers managing editor Jake Pavorsky detailed Friday in the latest edition of our Top Bloggers series.

See more from the Atlantic Division:

Kristaps Porzingis has broken out of his slump, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post examines, and the numbers show he’s putting up essentially the same sort of production under Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis as he did under the fired Derek Fisher, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. That dismisses one of the arguments against the team removing the interim tag from Rambis’ title, Begley suggests.
The Knicks have reportedly given up on the idea of Langston Galloway as a point guard, but Rambis insists the team is still high on the soon-to-be free agent, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone relays. New York can make him a restricted free agent with a qualifying offer of about $1.18MM. “We like his defense, we like his ability to organize and execute our offense,” Rambis said. “We just continue to challenge him to broaden his game . . . He’s just not playing at his best right now.”
A versatile forward is what the Celtics probably want if they’re to fill their roster vacancy, coach Brad Stevens said today, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). Coty Clarke, whom the team has elected not to re-sign following the expiration of his second 10-day contract, would ostensibly fit that bill, but Boston prefers the flexibility of an open roster spot over another deal for him, wary of the possibility that an injury will create a need at another position, Himmelsbach wrote this weekend. Any new deal for Clarke would have to cover the rest of the season and the playoffs.

Atlantic Notes: ‘Melo, Bargnani, Marks, Colangelo

March 4th, 2016 at 11:14am CST by Chuck Myron

A market for Carmelo Anthony would exist if the Knicks decide to trade him and he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause, but the Knicks shouldn’t expect to end up with a return that resembles what they gave up to trade for him five years ago, multiple NBA team executives tell Fred Kerber of the New York Post. An exec from an Eastern Conference team suggested New York could get an established player and a pick for ‘Melo, though he raised questions about his health, trade kicker and relative appeal compared to other stars, Kerber relays. That same exec also told Kerber that he doubts Anthony would waive his no-trade clause to go to relatively unappealing teams that the Knicks might view as desirable trade partners. Two of the executives with whom Kerber spoke said the Knicks shouldn’t have re-signed him in 2014 and instead would have been wise to have done a sign-and-trade at the time. See more from the Atlantic Division:

Andrea Bargnani continues to draw offers from overseas, and Olimpia Milano team president Livio Proli claims that he wants to play in Europe, as Proli said to the Italian outlet Tuttosport, according to Eurohoops.net. The Italian team wants Bargnani for next season, while Turkey’s Galatasaray has made him an offer for the rest of this season, coach Ergin Ataman said, as Eurohoops.net also relays. The former No. 1 pick bought his way off the Nets last month.
New Nets GM Sean Marks took an unconventional path to his job, but he’s leaning on what he learned from familiar front office stalwarts Pat Riley and Spurs bosses Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post details.
Bryan Colangelo confirmed to Dave McCarthy of Vice Sports Canada that he was a finalist for the Nets GM vacancy that went to Marks and talked about Bargnani and other players from his tenure as Raptors GM. Colangelo’s name has been linked in speculation to Sixers, where father and chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo is considering a front office addition.

Atlantic Notes: Hinkie, Horford, Fredette

February 29th, 2016 at 4:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

One source told Tom Moore of Calkins Media that he believes the Sixers will hire someone new to run day-to-day basketball operations under chairman of basketball ops Jerry Colangelo, bumping GM Sam Hinkie into an analytics-only role, perhaps before the regular season is over. Moore speculates that the new day-to-day front office voice might be Bryan Colangelo, Jerry’s son, and the scribe hears conflicting rumors of whether or not Danny Ferry is a candidate to join the Sixers. Jerry Colangelo recently expressed interest in adding to the team’s front office. While we wait to see the fate of “The Process” in Philly, see more from the Atlantic Division:

Part of the reason why the Celtics didn’t make the sort of overwhelming trade offer for Al Horford that the Hawks were reportedly looking for is that the C’s feel they have a legitimate chance to sign him in free agency this summer, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports says in a video report. Chris Mannix of The Vertical earlier identified Atlanta’s interest in the big man.
The Knicks are keeping an eye on the players that hit waivers as Tuesday’s de facto buyout deadline nears, with a specific interest in younger players, coach Kurt Rambis said today, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Tuesday is the last day players can hit waivers while retaining postseason eligibility. Rambis praised Jimmer Fredette and suggested he’s open to seeing him return on a second 10-day deal, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter), but the coach said that decision rests with management and acknowledged it will be tough for Fredette to see minutes. He’s only played two minutes so far on the 10-day deal that expires after Wednesday.
The Celtics have recalled James Young from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). He averaged 10.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in three games on his latest D-League stint, which began Thursday.

Sixers Notes: Free Agents, Colangelo, Brown

February 27th, 2016 at 6:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers’ front office recognizes that it hasn’t created an attractive environment for free agents, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Although that means being ignored by Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond and Dwight Howard this summer and probably by Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook next year, the long-term goal is to turn Philadelphia into a contender for big-name free agents. “I think you have to create an atmosphere that is really attractive to free agents,” said chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo, “and you need to create a pool of players that others want to join, and they see the future and the potential. We could talk in theory about how that’s going to happen. But we just need to go out and start doing things. When we do, I think we will have a shot to become a destination.”

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

Colangelo will be evaluating his roster over the remainder of the regular season, Pompey writes in a separate story. Colangelo, who was hired to his current position in December, was in Philadelphia late this week to meet with coach Brett Brown and GM Sam Hinkie to plot strategy for the draft and free agency. “So right now the important thing is, and this is what we’re talking about: What can we get out of the last 25 games?” Colangelo said. “Find out as much as we can about what we have before you talk about what we’re going to be doing.”
Colangelo defended Brown’s performance and indicated the front office will continue to be patient with its coach, according to Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com. Brown has an ugly 45-177 record in nearly three years in Philadelphia, but Colangelo believes he is a solid coach because of what he has accomplished in other venues. “I’ve had chances to see him in action [as an assistant coach] in San Antonio, but more importantly, in U.S.A. Basketball world competition,” Colangelo said. “He coached the Australian team. I’ve seen what he can do.”

Atlantic Notes: Marks, Dolan, Casey, Hinkie

February 25th, 2016 at 9:28am CST by Chuck Myron

New Nets GM Sean Marks took the job on the condition that he have the authority to make moves as he sees fit, writes USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, who nonetheless wonders how much autonomy Marks will have to rebuild at a pace he sees appropriate. People around the league believe the Nets are anxious to go after a marquee free agent to hasten the team’s climb up the standings, Zillgitt notes. While we wait to find out if owner Mikhail Prokhorov displays more patience than he has to date, see more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks owner James Dolan was agitated after Monday’s loss, a source told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, and the frustration is evident throughout the organization, as Isola details. New York dropped another game Wednesday against the Pacers. “We’re all frustrated. We can’t accept this,” said interim head coach Kurt Rambis after Monday’s game. “For the organization, for our team, ourselves as individuals, the coaching staff. We can’t accept losing. I want players to be angry. I want players to be frustrated. That’s the right attitude to have.”
Toronto’s offseason defensive upgrades were “huge,” as coach Dwane Casey puts it, but they won’t matter if the Raptors can’t break through and win a playoff series, which the franchise hasn’t done in more than a decade, opines Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie might have lost power to new chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo this season, but Hinkie remains philosophically tied to the idea of his aggressive rebuilding campaign, observes Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine.

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Ujiri, Johnson, Nets

February 14th, 2016 at 12:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

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.

And-Ones: Colangelo, Tavares, Durant

February 12th, 2016 at 10:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers executive Jerry Colangelo indicated that the franchise may take a page out of the Warriors‘ organizational playbook and add more voices to their front office, Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com relays. “[Golden State] proves the point,” Colangelo told reporters today. “If you have the right mix of people you can have a collaborative effort because people respect one another, and usually that comes from people who have had experience, who’ve been around the track. You add all of that to the mix and it could work.”

“I think that any time you have an opportunity to enhance your organization, and you bring people in to accomplish that, you consider it. Big time. You really do,” Colangelo continued. “And I think in our case we have a very bright young guy in [GM] Sam Hinkie, who holds the title of president and GM, and in his space he’s really strong. One could build a case for saying you’d like to have more people added who have experience in other aspects of those jobs. That’s the kind of conversation that’s going on. “

Here’s more from around the league:

The Thunder haven’t given any consideration to trading small forward Kevin Durant, who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, prior to next week’s deadline despite the uncertainty that revolves around his future, Marc J. Spears of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports relays. “I never thought about that at all,” Durant said about being dealt by OKC. “I don’t know, man. I don’t want to be moved. I want to finish this thing out with my team. I think we got a really good thing going right now, so I haven’t really thought about it. We never talk about that stuff, me, [GM] Sam Presti, our assistant GM [Troy Weaver]. It’s always about how I can be better for my teammates and with my leadership skills.”
Jeff Ayres‘ second 10-day deal with the Clippers expired Thursday night, so he became a free agent. Teams are only permitted to ink any single player to a total of two 10-day pacts per season, and if Los Angeles wishes to retain Ayres, it would have to sign him for the remainder of the season. The Clippers’ roster count now stands at 14 players.
The Hawks have recalled center Edy Tavares from the Spurs‘ D-League affiliate where he had been sent as part of the flexible assignment rule, Atlanta announced via press release. Tavares has averaged 9.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 21.1 minutes during his seven D-League assignments this season.

Sixers Notes: Colangelo, Saric, Noel, Smith

February 2nd, 2016 at 7:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers don’t expect to be active at this season’s trade deadline, but team executive Jerry Colangelo wouldn’t rule out making a move if the right opportunity came along, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com relays. “In terms of trade, we’re not actively out there looking to make a trade,” said Colangelo. “But, you always have to be open. Things happen usually right around All-Star break. There’s a week or 10 days when there’s a lot of discussion. It may lead to nothing, and I think right now we’re kind of content to say there are too many question marks about certain players, health, and so forth that you have to be very careful. You have to be very selective. Timing’s everything.”

“We had a meeting [Tuesday] morning about the next five years of trade targets, and the next five years of free agency, and what that looks like, and how to put the pieces in place that can give you a chance to make, not just a first move on the chessboard, but the last move,” GM Sam Hinkie added. That’s really critical. I know that sounds sort of far off. Someone like me has to be willing to look around the bend at how we can actually get to where we’re trying to go.”

Here’s more from Philly:

The addition of point guard Ish Smith has improved the play of the team’s outside shooters, a development directly related to Smith’s attacking style of play, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com writes. “It gives us the opportunity to knock down shots,” Isaiah Canaan said. “With [Smith’s] speed, the defense has to take away his layups or the lob to Nerlens [Noel]. So with everybody running into the paint to lock in on him, it frees us up on our side to knock down shots. We tell him just find us and we’ll make them.“
The team has maintained constant communication with draft-and-stash prospect Dario Saric, who has stated that he intends to join the Sixers next season, tweets Camerato.
Philadelphia is still attempting to successfully blend the talents of big men Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, a process that would be easier if Noel could play power forward more effectively, according to Colangelo, notes Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter links). The executive admitted that the franchise would need to make a decision regarding its big men for the future, Moore relays.