Sixers

Notes and Quotes from Mike Gansey’s Introductory Sixers Press Conference

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jun 8th, 2026 · 10:36 AM EDT

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The Sixers introduced their new President of Basketball Operations, Mike Gansey, on Monday morning.

He spent more than a decade in the Cleveland Cavaliers system and was a sick player for West By God Virginia back in the day. Hopefully he’s as a good an executive as he was a player. Dude was super fun to watch on those John Beilein teams.

BUT ANYWAY, this isn’t a WVU story. Here are some notes and quotes from the presser:

• opening statement: Sixers have a passionate blue collar fan base, rich tradition, blah blah etc
• Gansey has had good conversations with Joel Embiid, but the roster is “who we have.” – “We just want to get them going and we’re excited to see what we can build.”
• He wants guys who want to be in Philadelphia, guys who can fit around the current players, high-character and high-IQ players
• He says the Sixers aren’t a championship-caliber team because they were swept in the 2nd round.
• On the age disparity between Joel/PG and Tyrese Maxey/VJ Edgecombe: “I don’t look at it like a timeline. I look at it like we have those four and need to maximize those four. Obviously VJ and Tyrese are younger, but Paul and Joel can still play at a high level. We were 24-14 when Joel played (I have to fact check this), and obviously when Joel played in the playoffs, coming back (against) Boston, we have to rely on those four and keep them on the floor and build around them.“
• His philosophy is to “look at everything,” staff will be aggressive and creative, make moves to help us win
• On Bob Myers’ role: “Well first of all, when I was interviewing, having Bob Myers in my corner, 4-time champion, one of the best executives of all time – who wouldn’t want that on your side? Obviously I’m the day-to-day President of Basketball Operations, me and my group, a great group and we’re going to work together, but it’s like every front office, you know? He’s an extension of ownership with Josh, essentially, and any recommendations, any ideas and stuff, we’re going to go through (those), we’re going to be in alignment throughout the whole organization, Nick Nurse included. Coaches will be involved, we’re going to be aligned throughout the building and having Bob is what I call a cheat code. You have someone I can call any time I want and having him is pretty special, to have on my side.”
• Gansey is one of those guys who says “yeah” in response to a question, like he’s confirming that he understood the question
• On what he actually did in Cleveland: “I was there 15 years, worked my way up, intern to GM. I give Koby Altman a lot credit, and the Gilbert family. They let me do my thing. I had a ton of responsibility. I think nowadays when people can be a G-League GM, I think that’s a huge stepping stone in their career, and I was able to do that and helped me when I became assistant GM. But I did all of the day-to-day. I was talking with players, agents, collaborating with the head coach. Me and Kenny (Atkinson) had a great relationship and talked every day. And dealing with ownership. I haven’t been the #1 guy, but I’ve been right there with Koby and Koby put a lot on my plate. I was fortunate to be able to work as much as I did and he gave me a ton of responsibility.“
• He says he was “in those conversations” in terms of bringing James Harden to the Cavs, but mostly dodged the question (it’s generally believed that Koby Altman was the guy who brought Harden to Cleveland, and not Gansey)
• Gansey points out he was 0-2 against Jameer Nelson in college (with St. Bonaventure, before he transferred)
• He says he ran the draft in Cleveland but describes himself as a “connector” with an open-door policy
• he twice used the term “fountains, not drains,” when describing the types of people he wants in the building. you want to add figurative water to the ecosystem, not take it away, I think is what that means
• He notes that he played for Nick Nurse in 2011 and that they crossed paths in the G League before he went to play in Spain

It was a fine presser. He didn’t give away too much, but we got the full answers on the Bob Myers question and the Cleveland duties question.