Sixers GM Elton Brand withdraws from Hawks’ search: report

Elton Brand has reportedly decided to stay with the Sixers.

Jake Fischer reported Tuesday night that Brand has withdrawn from the Hawks’ president of basketball operations search. Atlanta is looking to fill that role after firing general manager Landry Fields.

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A two-time All-Star power forward in his playing days, Brand made 263 of his 1,058 NBA appearances for the Sixers. He played two seasons with the Hawks.

Brand shifted to the Sixers’ front office after retiring as a player and got the general manager job in September of 2018. He was at the top of the team’s basketball operations department for two eventful seasons. High-profile moves included:

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Trading for Jimmy Butler, parting with Robert Covington and Dario Saric
Acquiring Tobias Harris in a three-team deadline deal
Sending Markelle Fultz to the Magic, acquiring a protected first-round pick that wound up netting Tyrese Maxey
Shipping Butler to the Heat via four-team sign-and-trade, picking up Josh Richardson
Signing Al Horford to a four-year contract with $97 million guaranteed
Keeping Harris with a five-year, $180 million deal
Inking Ben Simmons to a five-year, $170 million extension
Firing Brett Brown as head coach and hiring Doc Rivers

In general, the long-term contracts from the 2019 offseason did not age well. One of Daryl Morey’s first moves as Sixers president of basketball operations was trading Horford to the Thunder in a transaction that remains relevant because the Sixers will retain their 2025 first-round draft pick only if it falls within the top six.

Brand has worked alongside Morey the last five seasons. The 2024-25 campaign was by far the worst. Joel Embiid, Paul George and Maxey all missed significant time with injury woes and the Sixers lost 58 games.