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\n\t\t\tAfter Marc Stein reported that Sixers assistant general manager Jameer Nelson is a candidate for an \u201cexpanded role\u201d following Daryl Morey\u2018s exit and Jake Fischer confirmed that Nelson has many supporters within the organization, Tony Jones of The Athletic hears from multiple league sources that the former NBA point guard is a legitimate candidate to become the next president of basketball operations in Philadelphia.
\nNelson is the strongest internal candidate in the Sixers\u2019 front office search, and even if he doesn\u2019t take Morey\u2019s spot atop the basketball operations department, he appears likely to receive a promotion, league sources tell Jones.
\nAlthough Nelson was technically third in the 76ers\u2019 front office hierarchy under Morey and GM Elton Brand this past season, he had more responsibilities than a \u201ctypical\u201d No. 3, Jones explains, adding that Nelson is viewed as a rising star and is expected to get an opportunity to run a team sooner or later, even if he doesn\u2019t happen this offseason.
\nBrand also confirms several previously reported details related to the Sixers\u2019 search for Morey\u2019s successor, writing that Mike Gansey, Nick U\u2019Ren, Trent Redden, and Matt Lloyd are considered candidates and noting that Atlanta denied Philadelphia\u2019s request to speak to Hawks GM Onsi Saleh last week.
\nHere\u2019s more from around the Eastern Conference:<\/p>\n
Appearing earlier this week on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link), ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania reiterated that while he hasn\u2019t explicitly requested a trade, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has \u201cbelieved for a period of months\u201d that a deal sending him to a new team is ultimately in both his and the Bucks\u2019 best interests. \u201cGiannis\u2019s stance has not changed from what I\u2019ve reported over the last several months,\u201d Charania said.
\nMichigan State guard Jeremy Fears and Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder were among the prospects in for a pre-draft workout with the Wizards this week, tweets Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Washington controls two of the last 10 picks in this year\u2019s draft, at No. 51 and No. 60, while Fears currently ranks 67th on ESPN\u2019s big board and Suder comes in at 101st.
\nThe Nets took point guards with their first two picks in the 2025 draft, but Arkansas\u2019 Darius Acuff could still make sense for Brooklyn with this year\u2019s No. 6 overall pick, writes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Neither Egor Demin nor Nolan Traore made an All-Rookie team, and while there are concerns about Acuff\u2019s size and defense, he offers star potential as a scorer.<\/p>\n