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Bryan Colangelo, one of the finalists in the Nets GM hunt, looks like he'll be joining the 76ers after the resignation of Sam Hinkie Wednesday night, ESPN reports.
Hinkie resigned, according to Marc Stein, because the hiring of Colangelo, son of 76ers chairman of basketball operations Jerry, was imminent, further limiting his prerogatives.
Sources told ESPN.com that Hinkie, sparked heavily by the Sixers' interest in hiring two-time NBA Executive of the Year Bryan Colangelo to join their front office, decided to leave the organization rather than surrender even more authority than he already has this season.
Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Colangelo's hiring could be announced as early as Thursday.
Colangelo was interviewed for the Nets job earlier this year. The former Suns and Raptors GM was initially seen as the leading candidate for the Brooklyn job, but Sean Marks was chosen instead.
Hinkie was the architect of "the process," planned losing to get top picks in the Draft, but the losses mounted and two of the top picks in 2014, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, have yet to play a minute in the NBA. Moreover, rival GMs and agents accused Hinkie of reneging on handshake deals. So, earlier this year, in part because of pressure from the commissioner's office, 76er ownership hired Colangelo's father, Jerry, as chairman of basketball operations. Colangelo became the ultimate decision-maker in the organization.