When Daryl Morey was fired by the Philadelphia 76ers back in May, fans weren\u2019t quite sure what to expect in the organization\u2019s search for its next top executive. When the Sixers hired Mike Gansey out of Cleveland a few weeks later, fans\u2019 reaction was largely a half-nod, half-head tilt and an \u201cOK, let\u2019s see how this goes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cavaliers had made some decent draft picks and moves during Gansey\u2019s tenure, but not a ton of home runs, and who knows what to attribute to somebody who isn\u2019t at the top of the org chart. As a former D-1 player, he was undoubtedly a \u201cbasketball guy,\u201d a dramatic swing from Daryl \u201cDork Elvis\u201d Morey, like when a baseball team hires a player\u2019s manager right after having a hard-nosed disciplinarian. It all seemed fine, but Gansey was largely a black box and no one really knew what to expect.<\/p>\n
Well, we are less than two months into Gansey\u2019s tenure, and the man has already orchestrated the greatest offseason in Philadelphia 76ers history. You never know with late-first-round rookies, obviously, but nabbing Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick looks like a good move so far. Then, Gansey nailed the smaller moves in free agency. Getting versatile forward Dean Wade on a four-year, $39 million deal looks tremendous compared to some of the other contracts being thrown around this summer. Likewise, signing Anfernee Simons for two years, $12.3 million is a steal on the margins.<\/p>\n
Of course, alongside the singles and doubles, Gansey wasn\u2019t afraid to swing for the fences and hit a home run. He turned Paul George, who at this time last year was considered one of the worst contracts in the league, into Jaylen Brown, without giving up the full war chest of draft capital. Brown certainly has some holes in his game, but he\u2019s a player who won Finals MVP just two years ago, is still in his prime, and can soak up a ton of usage to alleviate the minutes and ball handling burden on the Sixers\u2019 backcourt. His arrival immediately transformed the franchise from \u201cat least they have a fun backcourt\u201d to \u201cwe need to include the Sixers on the short list of contenders.\u201d<\/p>\n