Elton Brand to Knicks? 76ers Plan to Keep Them Waiting

On Wednesday, rumors indicated that the New York Knicks had interest in potentially scooping up Elton Brand if the Philadelphia 76ers let him go. That scenario seems unlikely.
Elton Brand to Knicks? 76ers Plan to Keep Them Waiting
Elton Brand to Knicks? 76ers Plan to Keep Them Waiting /

Finding a General Manager to take over a front office in the NBA isn't all that easy. The Philadelphia 76ers know the struggle of the search for one very well as they had a difficult time replacing Bryan Colangelo after he stepped down before the 2019 offseason.

The Sixers didn't want quickly to just quickly sign anybody to fill the position. They were willing to make it a drawn-out process if needed. After the word got out that multiple candidates turned the Sixers down, the team elected to roll with the head coach, Brett Brown, as the temporary General Manager throughout the first couple of months of last year's offseason.

Eventually, the team found its guy, though. Although Elton Brand was just suiting up for the Sixers a couple of years ago, the team was ready to issue the former forward a more prominent role on the squad as the front office head honcho.

Brand's arrival in Philly's front office as the GM garnered mixed reviews. On the one hand, many were excited to see what the former player could accomplish and were willing to see things through. On the other hand, many were disappointed because they preferred to see somebody with experience who could help turn the Sixers into a real contender.

Brand was no scrub in year one, though. Despite being a rookie General Manager, the 41-year-old front office man quickly became one of the more aggressive deal-makers around the league last season. While he made a handful of trades, the acquisition of Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris was undoubtedly his most notable moves. Brand received a lot of credit last season for the job he did.

But his sophomore season in the front office hasn't been as promising. His most memorable signing during last summer's free agency is unfortunately not for good reason. After inking a 33-year-old Al Horford to a four-year, $109 million deal, Brand put the Sixers in a very awkward scenario. Now, the second-year GM went from receiving rave reviews to becoming an "if he gets fired" candidate.

If he gets fired, the New York Knicks are interested in Elton Brand, according to a report from the New York Daily News. However, the "if" factor in this equation is a stretch. At the moment, the Sixers are "very happy" with Elton Brand, according to The Inquirer's Keith Pompey.

As he's shown tremendous leadership, along with building up and maintaining strong relationships with players, agents, and executives around the league, the Sixers are quite intrigued by seeing what Brand can accomplish in his third season.

Since he's already on contract for 2020-2021, the 76ers aren't in any competition with the Knicks for Brand's service. The only way New York could grab Brand is if Philly fires him. At this point, it has become apparent that Brand will have at least another season to prove his value with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_


Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA