Elton Brand Sticking Around? Great. Just What the Sixers Needed.

Well, it looks like Elton Brand’s still part of the plan.

According to a report from Jake Fischer, Brand has withdrawn from the Atlanta Hawks’ president of basketball ops search, opting to stay put with the Sixers instead. A shame, really. We were ready to send flowers and a Thank You card to the Hawks for even entertaining the idea.

But nope—Elton Brand is not going anywhere.

Per sources: 76ers general manager Elton Brand has withdrawn from Atlanta’s president of basketball operations search. Brand played for Hawks and holds strong relationships within the franchise, but is staying with Philadelphia for an important offseason: https://t.co/OGrhRUaUfE https://t.co/uIV8EyC52g

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) May 7, 2025

Elton Brand, for those who need a refresher on his greatest hits, was handed the keys to the Sixers’ front office back in 2018. What followed was one of the most erratic, expensive, and ultimately franchise-altering two-year stretches in team history. Here’s the résumé of chaos, in all its glory:

• Traded Robert Covington and Dario Šarić for Jimmy Butler. Solid start! Until…
• Shipped Butler to Miami in a sign-and-trade. He chose to leave because we couldn’t build around him. Picked up Josh Richardson instead. That went nowhere.
• Acquired Tobias Harris in a deadline deal. Fine. But then…
• Signed Harris to a 5-year, $180 million contract. NBA front offices still use that as a cautionary tale.
• Signed Al Horford to a 4-year, $97 million deal. Remember him? The center we asked to play next to two other centers?
• Gave Ben Simmons a 5-year, $170 million extension. Then watched his trade value fall off a cliff.
• Traded Markelle Fultz to Orlando. Actually worked out—sort of. The pick we got became Tyrese Maxey, the only true win on the list.
• Fired Brett Brown and hired Doc Rivers. You already know how that ended.

Brand’s front office built a team that couldn’t shoot, paid everyone who couldn’t shoot, then had to offload Horford to OKC for cap relief, eat Richardson’s deal, and trade Simmons for a guy who plays once every four weeks. That’s a legacy.

But sure, let’s keep him on board. Continuity matters.

Clueless: Daryl Morey still doesn’t get it after another tone deaf interview on Philly Sports Talk Radio

Look, Brand seems like a great guy, and he’s taken a backseat since Daryl Morey came in and attempted to clean up the mess. At the same time, If there was ever a moment where both parties could benefit from a fresh start, it was now. Instead, the Sixers keep their front office “stability,” and Atlanta goes back to the drawing board.

Thanks for nothing, Hawks.

Let’s hope Brand’s staying only means he’s ordering takeout for the war room and not calling the shots on draft night. Because we’ve seen how that movie ends.

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