Sam Hinkie ruled out the possibility of ever working within the NBA again during an interview with Pablo Torre of ESPN.

Hinkie was first asked about rejoining the Philadelphia 76ers, which on the face seems like a better chance than previously considering Daryl Morey was just hired by the team.

"Oh, zero," said Hinkie. "Zero. I've turned that chapter for sure. That part of my life. I very much like what I'm doing now. I like surrounding myself with people who think in sort of the timeframes I do, which is often longer. That are quite comfortable with long feedback loops. That want to do the kinds of things I do, which is bet on young people and watch them flourish."

Torre then asked Hinkie about working in any capacity within the NBA.

"Zero. Zero. The same," said Hinkie. 

Hinkie now runs a venture capital firm called Eighty-Seven Capital that raised $50 million earlier this year.

"Nominally, I stated a company. Practically, it's a venture capital firm that allows me to be an investor in early stage companies," said Hinkie. "It allows me to sort of ride the rollercoaster with young, ambitious principled people trying to make a dent in the universe. One way or the other. Sort of commercial universe. They have some dream they want to see come to fruition and a path to get there. What they need is capital, encouragement and advice. And a bunch of amazing colleagues around them to really help them get there. That's what I do."

Sam Hinkie agreed to a rare interview with ESPN's Pablo Torre just two days after his former boss, Daryl Morey, was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers for the job Hinkie had from 2013 until 2016. Hinkie's tenure was controversial as he stripped down the team in order to accumulate high draft picks and future assets.

"I do talk everyday, I just don't talk to you and your colleagues at ESPN on television every day," said Hinkie to Torre. "It's not everyday you get to gas up one of your friends that just had something awesome happen in their life that happens to coalesce with a bunch of my life."

Hinkie was asked for his reaction to Morey joining the 76ers.

"I was stoked," said Hinkie. "I'm stoked now. I think it's great news. He's not a good hire. He's a great hire. It's a really big move for the franchise. For a franchise I care a lot about. With a bunch of people I care a lot about. I just think it portends really great things for the future, for the Sixers. Which remains meaningful to me. So I'm stoked."

There have many suggestions that the 76ers will have to eventually break up Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons via trade, which Hinkie believes is not something that should be treated as an absolute necessity. 

"Oh gosh. Don't people remember what it took to get them? Right? For all of them," said Hinkie. "Getting a star player in the NBA is like not impossibly hard, but close. Right? And requires an incredible amount of luck, or an amazing amount of time, or some other way to try to get at it. What is Joel? 26? To have a young player who is nominally in a traditional sense just entering his prime and say 'We've got to blank.' No, job one is you've got to get great players on your team. That's job one. And he is one. I'm not alone on this."

The Philadelphia 76ers will hire Brian Adams as an assistant coach.

Adams served as head coach of the Agua Caliente Clippers of the G League over the past two seasons after working as a coaching associate under Doc Rivers with both the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics.

The 76ers also have Sam Cassel, Dan Burke and Eric Hughes on his staff.

Sam Cassell is expected to join the Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff, reported NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark.

The 50-year-old Cassell has spent the last six years as an assistant with Doc Rivers in Los Angeles.

Cassell was rumored to be a candidate for the Clippers position after Rivers' departure.

Cassell would join Dave Joerger and Dan Burke on Rivers' staff.

The Houston Rockets are not interested in trading James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in a package centered around Ben Simmons. With Daryl Morey joining the 76ers, there has been speculation he might attempt to acquire Harden with his new team.

"I've already been told with a few expletives included by somebody with the Rockets: 'No, Daryl, James Harden for Ben Simmons is not happening. Don't ask,' said Tim MacMahon on the Brian Windhorst podcast.

"It's not up to the Rockets, is it?" replied Windhorst, referring to the possibility of Harden asking for a trade at some point.

"The answer is no on that," added MacMahon on whether Houston would trade Harden for Simmons.

MacMahon previously reported this week that the Rockets are 100 percent committed to continuing to build around Harden.

The Philadelphia 76ers recently signed Elton Brand to a contract extension, according to reporting from Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

A source tells Pompey that Brand has three years remaining on his contract and that he will remain as general manager of the 76ers despite the hiring of Daryl Morey as the top decision-maker. 

"There's a report out of Philly today, from Keith Pompey, that Elton Brand has three years left on his contract. Well, a month ago he had one year left on his contract, so I think there was a possibility Elton Brand got a contract extension that they didn't announce."

Brand assumed general manager duties following the departure of Bryan Colangelo in 2018.

Daryl Morey cleared the record with Tim MacMahon after the ESPN writer suggested the Houston Rockets' trade of Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook was pushed for by James Harden and Tilman Fertitta with Morey essentially going along with it.

"I got into a little bit of trouble when I went on with Zach Lowe with some folks in Houston," said MacMahon on The Woj Pod. "When I went on his podcast and basically what I said was 'This was a trade that James Harden obviously wanted. Tilman Fertitta wanted. And Daryl got done.

"I got a call. I got a call from Daryl late that night saying 'Hey, that was a group decision. I just want to make it clear.'

"I think it was something where Daryl felt like it was probably a flip of the coin. But that's a trade to this point certainly hasn't worked out. Maybe it's a completely story if Russ doesn't get coronavirus, which I believe did impact the injury he got in the playoffs."

The Philadelphia 76ers will hire Dan Burke as assistant coach.

Burke was an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers since 1997, working under Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Rick Carlisle, Jim O’Brien, Frank Vogel and Nate McMillan.

The 76ers hired Doc Rivers as head coach this offseason.

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to hire Daryl Morey to oversee the franchise's basketball operations department. A deal will likely be finalized in the next few days.

Elton Brand will remain in the role as general manager. 

Morey and the Houston Rockets agreed to part ways on October 15th. Conversations between Morey and the 76ers commenced shortly after his departure from Houston and escalated in recent days. The 76ers pursued Morey in the past but he decided to remain with the Rockets and ultimately sign an extension. 

The 76ers hired Doc Rivers, who has a strong relationship and history with Morey, as head coach this offseason.

Jameer Nelson was hired as a scout and assistant GM for the Delaware Blue Coats, the G League team of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 38-year-old Nelson, who had a 14-year career in the NBA, last played for the Pistons in 2018.

Elton Brand has made several changes to the Sixers front office, including hiring Peter Dinwiddie and Prosper Karangwa.