76ers set to hire Thorn as president; Stefanski remains as general manager

By Bob Cooney

The 76ers plan to hire Rod Thorn as the new team president, according to an NBA source. Announcement of the hiring will come Thursday, according to the source.

It appears Ed Stefanski, who was hired as the Sixers' president and general manager in December 2007, will continue solely as the team's GM.

Thorn was president of the New Jersey Nets for a decade. In his second season, 2001-02, the team reached the NBA Finals. Thorn and Stefanski, who was named the Nets' GM in 2004, worked together for six seasons in New Jersey.

According to the source, the two sides reached an agreement Wednesday, after chairman Ed Snider reached out to Thorn.

Thorn left the New Jersey organization earlier this summer, not long after Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov took over the franchise.

This is the latest move in what has been a busy offseason for the Sixers. A day after their 27-55 season ended in April, they fired head coach Eddie Jordan.

They then leaped up to the second pick in the draft at the draft lottery, ultimately selecting Ohio State's Evan Turner.

They hired Doug Collins, a former Sixers star player, to replace Jordan in May. Collins is expected to fly in to Philadelphia for day's news conference.

Thorn, 69, was the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations from 1986 to 2000, before joining the Nets.

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