Sam Hinkie reportedly left his job as general manager with the Philadelphia 76ers after three years and didn’t tell any of his staff members he was making the move.
ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported the move, and Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical provided the details about Hinkie’s odd move to disappear quietly into the night.
Wojnarowski also provided this sad commentary on the final act of a failed experiment by Hinkie in Philadelphia.
https://twitter.com/WojVerticalNBA/status/717875913732411392
With Bryan Colangelo’s arrival as Hinkie’s replacement at G.M. being described as “imminent” by Stein, the franchise isn’t going to be without direction for long. That said, Hinkie wasn’t expected to be fired but was being discussed by the club for a different role in the front office, per Wojnarowski.
The tank for bad picks strategy Hinkie employed the past three years still hasn’t made the franchise any better. Wins totals have dropped every year (19, 18 and 10), despite top picks being had in each campaign.
Likely we haven’t heard the end of this story. Leaving one’s job without telling anyone under you is not the kind of move you want to make in a position of power. Likely, that power will never be offered again.