NBA rumors 2016: 76ers GM Sam Hinkie steps down
Some say it was tumultuous, while others believe he did it for the sake of the team's future. But the debate on Philadelphia 76ers general manager and president of basketball operations Sam Hinkie's approach on rebuilding no longer matters as he abruptly steps down from both positions after three years of collecting draft picks and intentionally losing games.
This was an expected move after the Sixers once again end the season on the bottom of the Eastern Conference and the entire NBA. And while the first two losing seasons prior to this were justified as moves to acquire future draft picks and build a championship contender, this one's apparently the tipping point.
The news of Hinkie's departure was later confirmed by the team's managing general partner Josh Harris in a statement:
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While we are disappointed in Sam's decision, we would like to sincerely thank him for his contributions over the past three seasons. There is no question that Sam's work has put us in a very strong position to take advantage of numerous opportunities for an exciting future.
There are rumors that Hinkie came up with the decision because he knew his role will be further diminished with the arrival of Bryan Colangelo, a two-time Executive of the Year winner and the man expected to call the shots for the team from now on. He joins his father, Jerry, who earlier was named chairman of basketball operations.
Hinkie for his part left a farewell letter with a whopping 13 pages in it, where a part of it reads, "given all the changes to our organization, I no longer have the confidence that I can make good decisions on behalf of investors in the Sixers – you."
At this point, the situation in Philly becomes more and more confusing. Although Hinkie is out, he certainly left a mark, being the man responsible for acquiring promising big men who has seen more time in injury rehabilitation than in court, including Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel.
