Sam

Hinkie

The Sixers have the No. 11 pick and their draft strategy will be crafted by Hinkie, a 35-year-old executive with a wonkish love of advanced statistics. Sources familiar with Hinkie told the Inquirer that he’s unlikely to have interest in George Karl, preferring a younger coach such as Heat assistant David Fizdale.

“The Sixers have not formally made contact to begin the process, but there has been some talk through the back channels,” a source said. Hunt is also a candidate to take over the Nuggets vacant job after the dismissal of George Karl.

Spears points out that Doug Collins’ former assistants are under contract for another year, which means new president and GM Sam Hinkie could have them coach the summer squad while he sorts through what’s left of the coaching market. While this might seem troublesome considering some of the names available, Hinkie reportedly prefers a younger coach to some of the veterans available like Lionel Hollins and George Karl. Both Nuggets assistant Melvin Hunt and Heat assistant David Fizdale have been linked to the Sixers job and each will likely still be available after summer-league play concludes. There’s also been talk of current assistant Michael Curry, who has the support of Jrue Holiday and co., being promoted to head coach.

Every year there’s rich teams looking to buy picks and cheap teams looking to sell them. It’s interesting to see Memphis in the conversation for the former rather than the latter, but it’s possible the budget-conscious Grizzlies could use a pick to “draft and stash” a European prospect. The link between both clubs is a priority on analytics, with former ESPN stat nerd John Hollinger in Memphis’ front office and new GM Sam Hinkie leading Philadelphia’s decision-making process.

Aron has steadily been losing his authority within the organization, so this report doesn’t come out of the blue. Newly minted 76ers GM Sam Hinkie is the guy calling the shots, with the blessing of majority owner Joshua Harris, and O’Neil’s primary responsibility could be marketing the team to a disenchanted fan base.

“We’re active out on the market, talking with lots of people. I’m focused on talent more so than [position],” Hinkie said. The team does need to bring on more money to meet the league’s minimum salary requirement, but they’re unlikely to make a big splash this summer. Their rebuilding process is going to take a while.

If the Sixers don’t have at least $52.8 million in team salary they’ll split the difference among their own players. It’s a mild punishment which won’t prompt Philly to trade for a bloated contract or overpay a veteran, but they do have multiple holes to fill on their roster before heading into training camp.

Sixers GM Sam Hinkie watched as 12 NBA teams installed new head coaches this summer. With the playing field now to himself, he’s all but certain to target a young coach who will develop the neophyte 76ers roster and remain upbeat in the shadow of a mountain of losses. The reported interest in Pierce makes some sense, but there are no indications that a signing is imminent.

Curry expects to meet with GM Sam Hinkie after the summer league. Hinkie is reportedly considering Grizzlies player development coach Lloyd Pierce for the position, which is the last of 13 openings this summer. Curry had the blessing of the roster, but Hinkie has already traded away his biggest advocate in Jrue Holiday. Stay tuned.

Yes, it’s nearly August and the Sixers don’t have a coach. Vanterpool is an intriguing candidate because he’s the one credited with mentoring Damian Lillard through his eye-opening rookie season. The next Sixers’ coach must be willing to take a ton of losses and develop young players like Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel.