This story has been corrected.
IN THEIR SEARCH for a new general manager to replace Rod Thorn, the 76ers, according to SI.com, have turned their attention to Sam Hinkie, the Houston Rockets' executive vice president of basketball operations.
Hinkie, who has an MBA from Stanford, is considered a leader in the league's analytics movement and has been the Rockets' second-in-command behind general manager Daryl Morey for 5 years.
According to the source, the Sixers have received permission to speak with Hinkie, though it's not known whether he has met with owner Josh Harris or any other team executive. It also remains unclear whether Hinkie is willing to leave his job with the Rockets to continue his NBA front-office ascent.
The Sixers' GM job, however, has become quite a bit more attractive since the team's acquisition of Andrew Bynum and the possibility of cap-space flexibility heading into the 2013-14 season.
Other candidates for the GM job, according to reports, are Boston assistant general manager Mike Zarren, former New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower, and former Portland assistant general manager and ESPN analyst Tom Penn.
In other news, the Sixers announced that they will play the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in a preseason game in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.
- Mark Perner
