Sam Hinkie Has Stepped Down From Sixers

Sixers president and general manager Sam Hinkie has resigned from his positions with the Sixers, according to multiple reports| Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

According to Marc Stein of ESPN, Sam Hinkie has stepped down as the Sixers’ president and general manager.

ESPN sources say Sam Hinkie has stepped down from his posts in Philadelphial

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 7, 2016

Stein later wrote that changes in the organization that emerged this week prompted Hinkie to resign.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports followed that up by saying Bryan Colangelo, Jerry Colangelo‘s son, is the Sixers’ primary target to replace Hinkie.

Bryan Colangelo had been targeted as the Sixers GM, a candidacy that has been gathering momentum, league sources tell @TheVertical.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) April 7, 2016

Wojnarowski then implied that management’s desire to add another voice to the front office had decreased Hinkie’s desire to remain with the team. Wojnarowski clarified that the executives management has been talking about adding were Bryan Colangelo or Danny Ferry, and that they would share a partnership with Hinkie in the decision making process. 

Bryan Colangelo is a two-time Executive of the Year Award winner, having won the award with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and the Toronto Raptors in 2007. His tenure included some missteps along the way as well, most notably selecting Andrea Bargnani first overall in the 2006 NBA draft.

Bryan Colangelo stepped down as president of the Raptors in June 2013. The Raptors were 79-151 in Colangelo’s final three seasons in Toronto. 

Stein then cited a source saying the hiring of Bryan Colangelo is “imminent”. 

Robert Huber chronicled the end of “The Process” for Philadelphia magazine last month. 

We’ll update this article as more details become available. 

Update: 8:49 PM

Stein published a piece of the 13-page letter Hinkie wrote to members of the Sixers’ ownership group.

“There has been much criticism of our approach. There will be more. A competitive league like the NBA necessitates a zig while our competitors comfortably zag. We often chose not to defend ourselves against much of the criticism, largely in an effort to stay true to the ideal of having the longest view in the room.

“… Given all the changes to our organization, I no longer have the confidence that I can make good decisions on behalf of investors in the Sixers — you. So I should step down. And I have.”

Sam Hinkie, per Marc Stein of ESPN.

Update: 8:58 PM

Adrian Wojnarowski claims Sixers’ ownership did not plan to fire Hinkie, and that they instead believed he would accept another executive sharing responsibilities with him.

Sources: Ownership had not planned to fire Hinkie. They believed he would accept another high-level executive on a level plane with him.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) April 7, 2016

Update: 9:14 PM

The Sixers released a statement on behalf of managing general partner Joshua Harris:

“This evening, Sam Hinkie notified the organization that he has elected to step down as President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. While we are disappointed in Sam’s decision, we would like to sincerely thank him for his contributions over the past three seasons. There is no question that Sam’s work has put us in a very strong position to take advantage of numerous opportunities for an exciting future.”

Update: 10:16 PM

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that Bryan Colangelo will take over as general manager.