Last week, WSB-Ch.2 Atlanta (ABC-TV) sports director Zach Klein reported that the Atlanta Hawks would be interviewing several candidates for their vacant President of Basketball Operations position. Those individuals and their current or most recent employers, as well as positions, are listed below:
- Elton Brand (current Philadelphia 76ers general manager)
- Monte McNair (former Sacramento Kings general manager)
- Calvin Booth (former Denver Nuggets general manager)
- Danny Ferry (current San Antonio Spurs basketball operations consultant)
- Shareef Abdur-Rahim (current NBA G League president)
The Stein Line insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have reported that Brand, McNair, and Booth have already had their initial interview with the Hawks. They also note the interest in former EuroLeague wing Travis Hansen, who was drafted 37th overall by the Hawks in 2003. In 2013, Hansen founded a successful private equity and holdings company (Tesani).
Latest Intel On Hawks President Search
Hansen isn’t the only candidate who has a past with the Hawks.
Brand played for Atlanta for two seasons, including the only 60-win season in franchise history. Ferry was the Hawks president and general manager for two seasons, including Brand’s first with the team. Abdur-Rahim, an Atlanta native, played two-plus memorable seasons with the Hawks.
However, Hansen is their only candidate who doesn’t have NBA front office experience. Pairing him with Onsi Saleh might lead to an accountant-like front office. Frankly, Hansen may be best suited for a cap-focused position. Conversely, four candidates —Brand, Booth, Ferry, and McNair —have demonstrated that they can be successful from a player personnel perspective.
There’s also been evidence to the contrary.
- Booth can identify young talent but is dogmatic about playing them over veterans. He also doesn’t create a comfortable working environment for coaches or players. These are the reasons the Nuggets fired him.
- McNair follows-up great decisions (e.g., drafting Tyrese Haliburton) with head-scratching ones (e.g., trading Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox). His constant effort to rectify past mistakes speaks to a lack of foresight. Ultimately, this is why he was recently fired.
- Ferry laid the foundation for the Hawks’ 60-win team. Yet, he’s followed by controversy after being accused of making racist remarks about former NBA star Luol Deng, a native of South Sudan.
- On the one hand, Brand was responsible for getting Jimmy Butler to the Sixers. However, he was unable to retain Butler for more than one season. Furthermore, his trust in Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris came back to bite Philadelphia.
Elton Brand Out
Hansen’s competition just got lighter, as Brand “has withdrawn from Atlanta’s president of basketball operations search,” per Fischer. Brand “holds strong relationships within the franchise.” Nevertheless, “(he) is staying with Philadelphia for an important offseason.”
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
To Fischer’s point, the Sixers are preparing for what could be a franchise-altering offseason.
Face of the franchise, Joel Embiid, is dealing with a serious injury. Tyrese Maxey hasn’t proven the team can excel with him as the No. 1 option. Paul George’s highly anticipated 2024-25 campaign was a letdown. Fortunately for Philadelphia, they currently have the fifth overall pick and an aggressive Daryl Morey.
That being said, if the Sixers fail to play well in 2025-26, Morey could be on the hot seat. That wouldn’t mean Brand’s job is safe. However, NBA organizations have a history of creating lines of succession in their front office, which could culminate in Brand receiving a promotion.
© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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