Good morning.

NBA free agency opens tonight at 6 p.m. There’s a lot of stuff floating around out there, which we’ll get to.

First, the Sixers sent out a strongly worded statement this weekend on the departure of investor David Heller, disputing a report from Keith Pompey at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Statement:

STATEMENT ON DAVID HELLER

We can confirm that David Heller has sold his interest in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), which includes in its portfolio the Philadelphia 76ers. In December 2018, David approached our leadership team to discuss the possibility of selling his stake in order to pursue other investment opportunities. David handled this with the same spirit of friendship and professionalism he had shown in his almost eight years as a limited partner at the 76ers and then HBSE. David departs our organization as a great friend and on great terms.

Unfortunately, there have been several media reports – most notably a story in The Philadelphia Inquirer – which have greatly mischaracterized David’s departure. Any assertion that David was “forced out” of our group is categorically false and irresponsible. We are also disappointed that The Inquirer did not reach out for comment or to seek clarity before publishing such claims, instead citing unnamed “sources.”

Again, David was a great partner and is a great friend to this organization. We appreciate his time, effort, energy and partnership, and wish him well in his future endeavors.

Here’s a snippet from the article in question, written on June 25th, after the jump:


David Heller is no longer part of the 76ers’ ownership group.

The businessman and former Goldman Sachs executive has sold his interest in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which oversees the team. Sources close to the Sixers front office said Heller was forced out. One source labeled his departure as “kicking” and “screaming.”

…

Heller’s extensive role in decisions had overshadowed the front office. That’s because the New York resident had been heavily involved in basketball decisions, sources said. But he wasn’t as visible after Elton Brand was named general manager last year. He did, however, attend some meetings in the winter and playoff games.

Last summer, head coach Brett Brown was named the interim general manager after Bryan Colangelo resigned as president of basketball operations/general manager. But sources said that Heller ran the show in Colangelo’s absence, and that he, more than Brown, was the acting GM at least through the draft process, if not the whole offseason. Sources said Harris listened intently to Heller.

So there you have it; you have Keith’s report and the Sixers’ rebuttal. It’s now on you, the American citizen, to decide what to believe.