Former NBA star Jameer Nelson is reportedly rising up the ranks in the Philadelphia 76ers’ front office.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Sixers promoted Nelson to assistant general manager under GM Elton Brand and team president Daryl Morey.
Nelson was a one-time All-Star over his 14-year NBA career that included stints with the Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans and Detroit Pistons. After ending his playing career in 2018, the Pennsylvania native quickly embarked on an executive career and joined the Philadelphia organization in 2020 as assistant GM of the G League affiliate Delaware Blue Coats before being promoted to the team’s GM in 2023.
Nelson’s promotion with the Sixers adds him to a group that is tasked with figuring out the best path forward for the franchise after its massively disappointing 2024-25 season. Philadelphia entered the year with championship aspirations, but injuries and inconsistencies caused the team to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17 with a 24-58 record.
The outlook isn’t completely bleak for the Sixers, as they earned the No. 3 pick in Monday’s NBA draft lottery. B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman predicted in his most recent mock draft that Philadelphia would select Baylor wing VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick, adding him to a core that is led by center Joel Embiid, point guard Tyrese Maxey and forward Paul George.
Nelson and the rest of the Sixers front office will be motivated to improve the team this offseason in hopes of returning to title contention in 2025-26.
