The Philadelphia 76ers hired Elton Brand as general manager on Tuesday. Brand beat out several more-experienced candidates inside and outside the Sixers organization, sources said. Brand, 39, had been recently promoted to executive vice president of basketball operations after serving the past year as GM of the Sixers’ G League affiliate in Delaware. After retiring as a player in 2016, he spent two years in the organization. Among those considered for the vacant GM role were Utah Jazz assistant GM Justin Zanik, Houston Rockets vice president Gersson Rosas and assistant Golden State Warriors GM Larry Harris. Brand replaces coach Brett Brown, who had been the interim GM since Bryan Colangelo resigned in June. Brand was the No. 1 overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 1999 NBA draft, and he made two All-Star appearances in 16 seasons. He signed a five-year, $82 million free-agent deal with Philadelphia in 2008 but was marred by injury. He returned to Philadelphia in 2015 as a player and retired there in 2016.
