When Elton Brand was named the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers on Sept. 20, no one outside of the inner circle was quite sure how he really fit in the team’s power structure.
Was he a mere figurehead; a popular former player with scant front office experience, but a good guy who will present well, while coach Brett Brown really called the shots? Or was he truly in charge of the team off-the-court, as managing owner Josh Harris had described at the introductory press conference?
We got a clearer picture on Monday when it was officially announced the Sixers had pulled off a monster deal to acquire four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.