76ers Reportedly Down to 4 Finalists in Search for Daryl Morey Replacement
With former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey now gone, the Philadelphia 76ers enter a pivotal offseason as they search for a new executive who can make the most out of Joel Embiid's remaining championship window.
With ownership, Bob Myers overseeing the process, and a fanbase starving for its first NBA title in more than four decades, this is one of the league's most important vacancies.
Now, a major development sharpened the picture.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Philadelphia's search has reportedly narrowed to four leading names: Cleveland Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey, Minnesota Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd, Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U'Ren, and Sixers assistant GM Jameer Nelson.
Each candidate brings a wildly different blueprint for Philly's future.
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Mike Gansey might be the "safe but high-upside" candidate.
The Cavaliers executive built a strong reputation under Koby Altman in Cleveland, helping oversee one of the NBA's most successful rebuild-to-contender transitions.
Before becoming Cleveland's GM, Gansey rose through player development and G League leadership, winning D-League Executive of the Year honors in 2017 after guiding the Canton Charge to their sixth straight postseason appearance.
Since taking over as the Cavs' general manager in 2022, he helped lead Cleveland to four straight playoff appearances, a 64-win season and a No. 1 seed in 2024-25, and now an Eastern Conference Finals.
Along the way, the organization built around and maximized talent, including Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Donovan Mitchell.
Matt Lloyd checks another important box as a longtime NBA scout and executive.
Currently Minnesota's GM under Tim Connelly, Lloyd is widely regarded as one of basketball's sharper evaluators.
He previously spent years in Orlando's front office as assistant general manager and earlier worked with the Chicago Bulls as a scout, senior manager of basketball operations, and director of college scouting.
Lloyd frequently surfaced in executive searches thanks to a résumé rooted in talent identification and roster construction, key strengths for a Philly team desperate to build a contender around Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.
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Then there's Nick U'Ren, arguably the most intriguing name on the board.
Currently leading the Phoenix Mercury, who just reached the WNBA Finals in 2025, U’Ren carries strong ties to Bob Myers from their years together in Golden State, a connection that could matter in the 76ers’ search process.
U’Ren spent nearly a decade inside the Warriors organization during one of basketball's defining dynasties, working across scouting, basketball operations, and front-office strategy before moving into the WNBA executive ranks.
And then there is the internal candidate with growing momentum, Jameer Nelson.
The former NBA All-Star guard and local basketball icon quietly developed into a respected executive voice within the organization, and league reporting suggests Nelson already carries responsibilities beyond a traditional assistant GM role.
Even if he ultimately does not land the top job, many around the league expect Nelson to emerge from the process with an expanded role in Philadelphia.
"It is increasingly expected that Nelson will be promoted to general manager at worst even if an external candidate is hired over him," Stein wrote. "He is the only internal candidate in Philly being considered for the top spot by search leader Bob Myers and has been all but assured a significant role going forward no matter how the Sixers proceed."
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 4:17 PM.