NBA News and Rumors: Association Restricting Jerry Colangelo's Decision-Making Power
As competing NBA franchises complain over possible conflicts of interest as a result of Jerry Colangelo's increasingly expansive powers in the league as chairman of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers and as managing director of USA Basketball, the NBA top brass decided to curtail Colangelo's growing undue influence in an attempt to maintain a level playing for players and teams alike.
There seems to be a growing concern from executives from various NBA franchises that Colangelo might make use of his strategic access to basketball's elite players in a bid to increase Philadelphia's free-agent leverage.
"Within weeks of Colangelo's hiring as 76ers chairman of basketball operations in December, the league office informed the NBA Board of Governors of new limitations on Colangelo's ability to communicate directly to players outside of USA Basketball activities and how much formal impact he can have in the final voting process for national team and Olympic rosters, league sources said," The Vertical sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski said as quoted in a Yahoo Sports news piece.
As stated by Bleacher Report, the NBA has just laid out the specific guidelines for the said restriction which include Colangelo's exclusion from the voting process for finalizing the official lineup of the Olympics' national team. Furthermore, he is also required to inform general managers across the league of his meetings with their players.
Meanwhile, 76ers has put an end to speculations over the future of the franchise. Following Sam Hinkie's leaked resignation, there had been swirling rumors of Jerry's son, Bryan, being groomed for executive position of the team's basketball operations.
"Philadelphia 76ers Managing General Partner Josh Harris announced today that the team has named Bryan Colangelo as President of Basketball Operations. As part of the transition, Jerry Colangelo will relinquish the role of Chairman of Basketball Operations and remains as a special advisor to Harris," the official statement from 76ers said as quoted by CBS Sports.
