DHJ Quick Take: Sixers Front Office Search Heating Up
- The Connection Matrix: Bob Myers is leveraging his deep Golden State roots for the Philadelphia 76ers’ front-office vacancy, placing Atlanta Hawks GM Onsi Saleh and four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala on his radar. Saleh previously climbed the executive ranks under Myers with the Warriors.
- The Atlanta Dynamic: While Saleh was promoted to the Hawks’ GM chair last April, head coach Quin Snyder carries immense roster influence in Atlanta. A potential jump to Philly would grant Saleh the highest tier of baseline operational authority he has held in his career.
- Iguodala’s Outlook: Despite recent inquiries from teams—including the Dallas Mavericks expressing past front-office interest—Iguodala isn’t actively hunting an executive role. His tenure as NBPA Executive Director concludes this June, and a return to Philly (where he spent his first eight seasons) remains a compelling storyline.
- The Authority Split: Myers clarified the blueprint for the next top executive: they will hold full “day-to-day authority,” while Myers collaborates on high-level marquee windows, including the NBA Draft, trade deadline, and free agency.
- The Ultimate Goal: Managing partner Josh Harris and Myers both directly addressed the elephant in the room—overcoming the second-round playoff ceiling. Myers emphasized that finding the delicate balance between the timelines of veterans Joel Embiid and Paul George versus young building blocks Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe is the franchise’s defining hurdle.
Bob Myers has Onsi Saleh among candidates on his radar for a Philadelphia 76ers front office role, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal.
Saleh, the Atlanta Hawks‘ general manager, climbed the Golden State Warriors‘ front office under Myers before joining the Hawks as assistant GM in 2024 and getting promoted to the GM chair last April. The two have familiarity from their years together with the Warriors organization.
Whether Saleh would leave Atlanta for Philadelphia remains to be seen. A move would put him at the highest level of basketball operations power he has held. Quin Snyder holds more influence over the Hawks’ roster direction than a typical head coach, which limits how independently any Atlanta GM can operate.
The Sixers fired Daryl Morey on Tuesday after six seasons. Myers, named president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment in October, is overseeing the search and has taken temporary control of the basketball operations department.
Bob Myers Holds Interest in Andre Iguodala, Too
Myers also has an interest in Andre Iguodala, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal. Iguodala is not considered to be actively seeking a jump to a front office role despite recent inquiries from teams around the league. He has served as executive director of the National Basketball Players Association since retiring in 2023, and his tenure in that role is expected to wrap in June.
The Dallas Mavericks previously expressed interest in Iguodala for a front-office role, sources said.
Iguodala played his first eight seasons in Philadelphia after the Sixers drafted him with the No. 9 pick in 2004. He later won four championships across two stints with the Warriors, including the 2015 Finals MVP, with Myers running Golden State’s front office for that entire run.
Bob Myers Outlines What He Wants in the Sixers’ Next Top Executive
Speaking to reporters Thursday, less than 48 hours after Morey’s dismissal, Myers said character and collaboration are the foundation of what he is looking for.
“I’m a big believer in character and leadership, and I’m looking for a person that embodies those things,” Myers said. “But there’s many characteristics under that, that I believe kind of qualify in making a modern GM a success.”
Myers said the new executive will run the department day-to-day with “a lot of authority,” while he stays involved on the bigger calls around the draft, trade deadline, and free agency.
“What [the new head of basketball operations is] going to get, and our fans are going to get, is them plus me,” Myers said. “I won’t be on a day-to-day level, but on the high-level decision making, which is being here at the draft, being here leading up to the trade deadline, being available for free agency discussions, free agency meetings, things like that, I’m going to be involved at that level.”
Myers said he would like to have someone in place before next month’s draft but is not locked into that timeline. He acknowledged the question hanging over the franchise.
“How do we get past the second round? How do we get further?” Myers said. “That’s what makes the job hard.”
Managing partner Josh Harris opened the session by acknowledging fan frustration.
“To our fans, I want you to know: no one’s more frustrated than me that we haven’t achieved our goals,” Harris said. “I acknowledge how disappointing it is that we’ve not made it past the second round of the playoffs. We owe it to you and the city to be better.”
What’s Next for the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia holds the No. 22 pick and three second-round selections in next month’s draft, an inheritance from the February trade involving Jared McCain. Myers pushed back on the early grades that trade has received.
“Our job is to make sure that on our end of the trade, we do a good job of drafting the best player at 22,” Myers said.
The Sixers also have to settle on a direction around Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and rookie VJ Edgecombe. Asked whether the franchise should prioritize the timelines of its younger stars over its veterans, Myers said the answer would solve everything.
“If I had the answer to that question, I’d actually just do it,” Myers said.
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