Around this time last year, the Philadelphia 76ers hired Ariana Andonian from the Memphis Grizzlies to be Vice President of Player Personnel. Clearly, they have been pleased with her work over the last year, as reporting today from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype states she will now also be the new General Manager for the Delaware Blue Coats.
Before arriving in Philadelphia, Andonian previously spent four years in the Memphis Grizzlies’ front office. Prior to that NBA experience, she was a member of the Houston Rockets’ scouting department during Daryl Morey’s tenure there. In between those two gigs, she earned her MBA from Duke, so I’m sure she and Elton Brand have plenty of Blue Devil-related discussions. Andonian is still only 30 years old and was included in The Athletic’s 2024 NBA 40 under 40 list. The blurb there states, “those who worked with her rave about her attention to detail and scouting acumen.”
She will have big shoes to fill at the G League affiliate. Jameer Nelson previously held the role of Blue Coats General Manager, but was promoted to Sixers Assistant General Manager back in May. Delaware finished 13th in the East at 14-20 last season. At 21.2 points per game, Judah Mintz was the team’s leading scorer among players who appeared in more than a handful of games.
While the Sixers have missed on some big-money contracts, they’ve done decently well recently unearthing talents along the margins, with Justin Edwards being the latest example. Hopefully, Andonian can help that tradition continue in her dual role with Sixers Player Personnel and Blue Coats General Manager.
