Houston Rockets executive Sam Hinkie hired to be 76ers GM

Less than one year after they passed up on him to promote Tony DiLeo from within, the Philadelphia 76ers have chosen to hire Sam Hinkie, a Rockets executive, to be their new General Manager. For the 76ers, this move marks a huge shakeup at the top as Rod Thorn is leaving his post as President to consult for the team, Doug Collins has resigned as head coach, and now Tony DiLeo has been ousted as well.

On the other hand, the Rockets lose a tremendous asset in their front office. Hinkie was a pioneer of analytics in the statistically-minded Rockets front office and was a big reason why the Rockets were always on the cutting edge in analytics. He had a huge role in the Rockets' use of SportVU technology to track the players at all times, and is extremely well-respected around the league for his skills in player evaluation.

He is going to be difficult to replace, but this hire shows that the Rockets are doing something right. With Hinkie in Philadelphia as a GM and two assistant coaches getting numerous interviews for head coaching positions, the Rockets front office is being endorsed by the league for doing something right.