New 76ers Rumors on 'Leading Candidates' to Land Top Exec Job After Daryl Morey's Exit

The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly making progress in the team's search for a new president of basketball operations.

According to NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Marc Stein, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey and 76ers assistant general manager Jameer Nelson are "regarded as the current leading candidates" for the position.

There's a "growing expectation" that Philadelphia will promote Nelson to general manager even if he isn't able to land the top job, per Fischer and Stein.

Fischer and Stein also reported the 76ers recently brought in Gansey and Phoenix Mercury general manager Nick U'Ren for interviews regarding their president of basketball operations role.

Philadelphia's current vacancy opened after it parted ways with Daryl Morey on May 12.

Gansey has been with the Cavs organization since 2011, starting off as an intern in basketball operations.

He's held several positions throughout his tenure in Cleveland including assistant general manager and general manager for the Cleveland Charge, the team's G League affiliate.

Gansey earned G League Executive of the Year honors for the 2016-17 season.

He was eventually promoted to general manager in Feb. 2022 and currently assists Cavs president Koby Altman in scouting and personnel decisions.

Gansey was previously under consideration for the Chicago Bulls' head of basketball operations role, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

As for Nelson, he played point guard in the NBA for 14 years before becoming a scout for the 76ers in Nov. 2020.

He also worked with Philadelphia's G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, as general manager.

The 76ers promoted Nelson to assistant general manager in May 2025 and he has held the position ever since. It seems he's in line to become the team's next general manager if he doesn't land the president of basketball operations role, though.

Philadelphia finished with a 45-37 record last season, returning to the playoffs and coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics in the first round before getting swept by the New York Knicks in the second round.