76ers’ Elton Brand Not Expected To Pursue Hornets GM Vacancy

Per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Brand doesn’t intend to pursue the vacancy.

Brand played college basketball at Duke and has been linked to the position, as have New Orleans Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon and Chicago Bulls GM Marc Eversley. Other names are certain to surface here soon.

Former Hornets executive Mitch Kupchak moved into an advisory role earlier this week.

“Despite being listed as a leading candidate for the Charlotte Hornets’ head of basketball operations, Elton Brand does not intend to pursue the opportunity, according to a league source,” Pompey wrote. “The 76ers GM signed a long-term extension with the organization around the holidays and is committed to Philadelphia. He’s focused on getting the Sixers in the best position for a playoff run.”

Brand, 44, finished his playing career with the 76ers and became the GM of their G League franchise shortly thereafter. He was promoted to GM of the Sixers in 2018 — but his lead decision-making duties were replaced by current team president Daryl Morey in 2020. Nonetheless, Brand is expected to draw lots of interest for top front-office jobs this offseason.

As a player, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.

The Hornets (12-41) have not announced a timeline for replacing Kupchak.

“As Mitch nears the end of his contract, we agreed that now was the right time to begin the search in order to put the organization in the best position for the upcoming offseason,” team owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin said in a joint statement. “We’re excited to begin the hiring process for our new head of basketball operations as we continue to shape this franchise and work towards building a team for long-term sustainable success.

“We will take a deliberate approach to the hiring process and will focus on making the best decision for the organization’s long-term future.”