Interim lead executive Bob Myers is expected to play a major role in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ front office even after he finds Daryl Morey’s replacement, he revealed as he addressed the media Thursday.
The former Warriors General Manager joined Harris Blitzer as their President of Sports in October 2025, serving as a key advisor to Managing Partner Josh Harris, particularly regarding the Sixers, New Jersey Devils and the Washington Commanders, for whom he has been an advisor since January 2024.
During the press conference, Myers was asked a range of questions, from the qualities he’s seeking in a potential front-office leader to his views on front-office functionality, plans for the draft process, and the team’s roster construction moving forward. Through his answers, Myers revealed his plans for continued high-level involvement, while reinforcing the desire for a collaborative effort.
For most of Daryl Morey’s tenure, short of seeking approval from the team’s ownership group, the front office followed his vision. Many wore different hats and served in specified roles under Morey, but short of Josh Harris, he was the leading voice, at least until the addition of Myers.
That is not to say that Myers was some puppeteer over Morey last season, but he did have some influence or input over the course of the year, and even, along with Harris, gave the okay for the controversial Jared McCain trade, confirming that the plan was to make an additional trade.
Moving forward, while Myers will not hold the title Morey did and is committed to finding what he referred to as “a day-to-day leader” for the organization. Still, he will continue to be a leading influence in the decision-making process, regardless of who the franchise ultimately hires.
“I won't be on a day-to-day level,” Myers said. “But on the high-level decision-making, which is being here at the draft, being here leading up to the trade deadline, being available for free agency discussions, free agency meetings, things like that, I'm going to be involved at that level… I'll be communicating with that person daily, if not five out of seven days a week… I want to hire somebody that I can work with. I want to hire somebody that Josh can work with. And most importantly, I want to win.”
While Myers will continue his role as President of Sports and advising on Harris Blitzer’s other sports endeavors, his focus moving forward seems to be the Philadelphia 76ers.
As for the type of candidates he’s considering, Myers is looking for a leader of high character who can excel in various front-office roles and who is not only willing but also thrives in a team environment.
“There are teams of people that make a team and organization successful,” Myers said. “So, making sure we have the right person to lead them, but also the right people underneath them, which is important, and the person that is going to get this job, like I said, I hope they check all those [boxes, but] they won't. It doesn't exist. How can we support them in roles that they don't have?”
Based on the answers he gave, there is clearly some flexibility in terms of the type of expertise a day-to-day leader could hold, but it’s also fair to expect a more up-and-coming voice as opposed to someone of a similar pedigree to Morey. While opinions may vary on Myers’ apparent involvement moving forward, he has been rather forthcoming about it, and it appears that the new day-to-day front office leader will be aware of the structure in place.
Above all else, Myers appears to be looking for a team player, someone who brings a certain skill set to the table and is willing to work collaboratively both above and below their role.
“There are many characteristics under that I believe kind of qualify in making a modern GM a success,” Myers said. “There's front-facing responsibilities, there’s responsibilities of managing star players, there's responsibilities of managing up to ownership, there's contract negotiations, there's the draft process, there's evaluating analytics, there's the medical staff… I'm looking to find someone that can check as many of those boxes as possible, but also raise their hand and say, ‘You know what, I'm actually not good in this space. I'm gonna need some support.’”
With the NBA Draft quickly approaching, Myers admitted he would ideally like a candidate in place before the draft and plans to begin the search shortly, but he made it clear that the process will not be rushed for the sake of the draft and will continue until the right candidate is identified.
“I'd like to have someone; I hope to have someone. But if it hasn't happened, that's okay too,” Myers said. “But the goal would be to have someone in place for the draft to get acclimated with the new group.”
Myers also explained that, should the position be filled before the draft, the candidate would likely have already evaluated this year's draft prospects and hold their own opinions, which he referred to as “a benefit in some ways.”
Regardless, the Sixers will continue this search as long as they deem necessary, even past the draft.
“It'll be as much time as required to get the best person,” Myers said. “The goal would be to have someone that's the right person for a long amount of time after that.”
Myers explained that while he’s spoken with Brand, the conversation has primarily focused on the team's current state and the upcoming NBA Draft.
“[I’ve] known Elton a long time,” Myers said. “[We’ll] figure out what we think is best, but we haven't gotten to that level of detail with any of that yet.”
While the search for that day-to-day leader will soon be underway, the Sixers are already preparing for the upcoming draft, with current General Manager Elton Brand in Chicago this week for the NBA Draft Combine, evaluating this year’s prospects.
Brand has been with the organization as a player from 2008 through 2012, returning in 2016 and later joining the front office that same year. During that time, he has overseen the team’s G League affiliate, been promoted to the Sixers’ General Manager role, and, for a time, even been the primary voice of the Sixers' front office prior to the addition of Daryl Morey.
Whether Brand becomes a candidate for the position, or even whether he’s interested, remains to be seen. It’s worth noting that he was previously a candidate for the Atlanta Hawks' lead executive opening but later withdrew his name from consideration, remaining in Philadelphia.
The Sixers are in a period of comprehensive evaluation. Over the coming days, weeks, perhaps even months, Myers will communicate with the Sixers’ remaining front-office staff while running day-to-day operations and analyzing the franchise's options, even after hiring a day-to-day leader.
MORE: What’s next for the Sixers after Daryl Morey’s departure?
