In the flurry of news and names that showered Sixers fans Wednesday afternoon, the questions surrounding the fit of the front office and coaching staff additions came just as fast.
Chief among those questions has to be about the balance of power between Elton Brand and Darryl Morey. Which of them will have more sway and decision making power on personnel choices? How quickly will their leadership styles mesh? Who has final say?
A glaring head scratcher, besides the measure of influence in the Sixers front office pyramid, points directly at the length of Morey’s reported - and yet to be signed - 5-year contract as President of Basketball Operations.
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Doc Rivers inked a 5-year deal, so it makes great sense to have synergy between two of the major cogs of the bench and executive group.
But where does that leave Elton Brand? Neither Morey or Rivers seem to be above the Sixers' general manager in rank, but they do lap him in experience. Morey has 16 years as a member of NBA brass, while Rivers served three seasons as Executive VP of Basketball Operations for the Clippers. Brand is just finishing year two at the helm.
It’s a stretch for me to think Morey would acquiesce to Brand when it comes to shaping the roster, when Brand is still learning to navigate his position as a general manager and Morey is a skilled sailor of front office seas.
Is Brand serving as a figurehead while Morey pulls the strings like a marionette?
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Not exactly. If you read the tea leaves, Elton Brand is sticking around, but doesn’t have a leash as long as Morey or Rivers.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last month that Brand was seeking a 3- or 4-year deal and was meeting with the ownership group in late September.
Those talks appear to have been fruitful. Brian Windhorst of ESPN connected the dots, as Brand’s new deal reportedly now has three years remaining, two years shy of Morey and Rivers.
If true, it's a smart move by ownership to hedge their bet in case the marriage between Brand and Morey is unceremonious. You can easily part ways with Brand and have Morey still in place to keep the pilot lit and furnace on blast.
In this truncated offseason, we won’t have a long wait to find out exactly how much this bevy of new voices pays dividends.