The Bryan Colangelo Twitter fiasco is now in the rearview mirror; the Philadelphia 76ers former President of Basketball Operations has officially resigned from the position. Still, the fallout remains. And, now, the 76ers are quickly moving towards one of the most important decisions of their offseason.

Who will take his place?

In a vacuum, replacing Colangelo isn’t necessarily a huge deal; the 76ers find those qualified for the job, talk specifics and try to work something out. However, in an offseason where the 76ers must continue to improve, as well as one so fraught with available, big-name talent, things just feel different.

In order to acquire some of that talent (including a potential run at LeBron James), Philadelphia needs a leader in addition to the look of an organization that is stable, from top to bottom. So, who are those best equipt to step in?

Sam Hinkie

This seems rather obvious, no?

Sam Hinkie being brought back to finish the Process he started years ago would almost be poetic. Not to mention, the conspiracy theories tying him to the departure of Colangelo would be more than fun to read.

All jokes aside, Hinkie, who was recently brought on by the Denver Broncos as an analytics consultant, is well equipped to do the job, perhaps one of the 76ers’ best options. While the NBA may not enjoy his return to the spotlight, Hinkie is already familiar with some of the team personnel — both players and team officials — and knows what he is doing. While many may not agree with his “Process,” Hinkie laid out a plan to return the franchise to success and, clearly, things worked out in the end.

While it would be different from his previous stint with the team, allowing Hinkie to work with a roster not devoid of talent wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for the 76ers.

David Griffin

If Philadelphia does, in fact, hope to land James in free agency, bringing in David Griffin beforehand may be the team’s best play and, potentially, one of their biggest bartering chips come July.

Griffin and James have a long-standing relationship and having him around would seemingly serve to increase Philadelphia’s chances of landing the biggest fish on the market. Griffin has James’ respect and the trust to build a high caliber team around him. In the 76ers’ case, much of that team is already in place on the roster.

Beyond James, Griffin is more than capable of the job after navigating the field with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Between his ascension to the General Manager position and his departure from the team prior to this season, Griffin remolded the Cavaliers roster and turned them into a championship contender. In addition to bringing James home, Griffin acquired Kevin Love, among others, and helped bring Cleveland their first NBA title in 2016.

Mike Zarren, Boston Celtics Assistant General Manager

Mike Zarren has been a part of the Boston Celtics front office for a very long time and is a big reason why the team is currently in such a favorable position. And who better to poach talent from than, perhaps, your biggest competition in the conference?

Zarren was actually in the running for the same role back in 2013 before withdrawing from consideration (Philadelphia hired Hinkie soon after). One of the brightest minds in the game, Zarren could be the perfect candidate to lead the 76ers’ continued charge to the Promised Land. With an analytical background ala Hinkie, he would also be a great fit alongside Philadelphia’s “Trust the Process” mantra and fans.

The one barrier the team could face with Zarren may be his Boston fandom. Zarren, a Massachusetts native, and his family bleed green — they even own Celtics season tickets — and he has already passed on the team once to stay in Boston. If the 76ers can actually get him out of the city, however, Zarren could find himself near the top of the list of candidates.

Gersson Rosas, Houston Rockets Assistant General Manager

During his time in Houston, Gresson Rosas has helped Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey construct a roster that was on the verge of and likely would have, if not for an injury to Chris Paul, toppled the current iteration of the Golden State Warriors — one of the greatest collections of pure talent in NBA history — in the Western Conference Finals. Like Zarren, his involvement alone is almost enough to consider Rosas for the job.

Beyond that, Rosas brings experience to the job. He has worked with the Rockets organization for over a decade, including a stint where he worked alongside Hinkie, has done work for the US Men’s National Team alongside Mike Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo and has even been a serious candidate for similar roles in the past — Rosas was a candidate for both the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons vacancies earlier this year.

Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs Assistant General Manager

Brian Wright is young, but he could definitely be a name the 76ers consider as they move through their search. Wright has experience with the Pistons and Spurs, starting out as an intern before making taking claim of the Spurs’ Assistant General Manager position back in 2016. While they had some issues this past season, the Spurs still represent the NBA’s model franchise, from an organizational standpoint. Bringing that type of mindset and winning attitude could be a boon for the team.

Having worked with the Spurs, there is also a familiarity between Wright and 76ers Head Coach Brett Brown. Greater still, Wright would provide the 76ers with a connection to Kawhi Leonard who, while not currently available, could be a target for Philadelphia later in the offseason as things continue to unfold as they have this past season.

Marc Eversley, 76ers Vice President of Player Personel

If the team is looking to promote from within, Marc Eversley may be the 76ers’ guy.

Eversley joined Philadelphia shortly after Colangelo did back in 2016. In Eversley, Philadelphia would have a candidate who already has a clear understanding of inner workings of the team as well as pre-established relationships with players and others in the front office. He would provide a smooth transition for a team looking to fly under the radar and not shoot themselves in the foot even more in the wake of the Colangelo departure.

Even if he isn’t their first choice, Eversley will likely have a larger role to play in the interim as they 76ers continue to look ahead to free agency and the draft — the team could view his as “tryout” type situation.

Regardless of who they end up going with, the decisions that lie in the 76ers immediate future are BIG. Following Colangelo’s resignation, Philadelphia’s course of action could have a lasting effect on their offseason and future.

Darius Thompson out of Western Kentucky is ready to take his next step into the NBA.

The neophyte has been going through the pre-draft process and has been having workouts with multiple teams, including with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

“I thought it went well,” Thompson said of his time with Toronto. “I think I did good enough to hopefully impress the team, to show them how capable I am as an athlete, was able to knock down a few shots. I think it went, overall, pretty good.”

Thompson has another workout scheduled for Saturday with the Orlando Magic, sources say.

This past season, Thompson averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. He shot 46.3 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three and had multiple triple-doubles, including against Marshall.

Thompson has become renown for getting high quality looks and often finds himself shooting favorable percentages from the field. It’s a strength that he believes he can replicate at the next level.

“I would say me just focusing on getting good shots,” Thompson said. “I really try to pride myself on not getting too sped up, or not trying to force things. I try to just set up a good shot, and try to knock down shots when I have a wide open look.”

Still, the young guard knows that there is still room for improvement in his game.

“I’ll just try to be more aggressive attacking the basket, looking to score more,” Thompson said. “I think that’s one of the big things I need to focus on, being more aggressive to score instead of looking to pass as much, ’cause that’s one of my biggest things. I love passing the ball. So, just trying to mix it up and being able to show that I can be a threat to score, as well.”

In terms of his current strengths, though, he described it.

“I think my IQ and my core vision,” Thompson said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things for me. My play-making ability. I love to get my teammates involved, love to set up my teammates to get an easier shot. I think that’s one of the biggest things for me, is just going out there and helping my teammates … get the most out of my teammates as possible. Just helping them with confidence, boosting up their confidence and being there, making sure they know that they’re shooters and they can knock down shots. So, just my play-making ability and being able to help my teammates out.”

He also describes that he tries to scout different positions and players and tries to put that into his own game.

“No. I wouldn’t say I try to model it after specifically one player,” Thompson said. “I kinda just try to watch different positions, different players and try to get little things I like from each one of them and try to put it into my game.”

This past season, Thompson also had the opportunity to play against his father’s (Lonnie Thompson) team, Cumberland University. He helped lead Western Kentucky defeat Cumberland in the exhibition game, 109-66. Thompson had 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

“Oh, it was a crazy experience, actually getting to go up to my dad before the game,” Thompson said. “He was talking a bunch of crap to me, about how they were gonna beat me, and how he was gonna surprise everybody to beating us. But, it was a fun experience, getting to go against my dad. It was kinda awkward, ’cause I’m so used to him coaching me and being there to help me out, so, I felt to see him going against me for the first time was the weirdest thing. But, overall, it was a fun time.”

The pre-draft process can be a long process for some, but Thompson is enjoying it.

“I mean, it’s been fun to me,” he said. “Going every day and just being able to grind and play the game I love, it’s been huge. And the guys I’m with are a great group of guys, all either working to be in the same process that I’m in, or they’ve already been in the process. So, just being around a great group of guys, just playing the game and to have the same love … I mean, it’s been amazing.”

Now, he’s looking toward the NBA.

It has been almost two months since the Los Angeles Clippers last took to the hardwood. The team fought through injuries and was in range of making the playoffs in a season that never really went according to plan. Despite the team’s best efforts, the Clippers ultimately failed to qualify for the NBA’s postseason. While the Clippers were unable to make it to the playoffs, their first failure to do so since 2011, they did show resilience and determination.

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers was previously critcized for manufacturing his departure from the Boston Celtics to avoid overseeing that team’s rebuild. Last season, the Clippers attempted to rebuild on the fly with the offseason trade of Chris Paul and the midseason trade of Blake Griffin. While it did not result in playoff success, Rivers found himself willing to stick with the franchise, which was very dependent on young and largerly unproven players. Confirming his ongoing commitment to this process, Rivers accepted a contract extension a few weeks ago, keeping him at the head of the Clippers ship for the next few years. Rivers put out a statement noting that the “team battled through many challenges and much adversity, proving deep talent and even greater potential.”

With their head coach firmly rooted in place, the team has its sights set on the draft as the next stage of retooling. Looking back at last season, the team made the most of a draft with no first-round picks available. The franchise acquired the rights to guard Sindarius Thornwell in exchange for cash considerations. Thornwell had originally been selected 48^th in the draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. The Clippers were certainly able to yield value out of the lauded transaction as Thornwell proved capable of producing when needed due to various injuries on the wing and remains a useful prospect role player going forward. The Clippers also acquired the draft rights to Oklahoma State guard Jawun Evans (picked 39th overall) from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for cash considerations. Evans suffered through injuries but also proved himself to be an effective lead guard off the bench.

Currently, guard Austin Rivers, guard Milos Teodosic and center DeAndre Jordan have player options available to them and accordingly the right to depart L.A. In addition, guard Avery Bradley could depart as an unrestricted free agent. Austin Rivers has not decided whether to exercise his player option for next season, Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points reports. With the roster in flux, the Clippers need to consider their options and prepare to fill in vacancies that could be left by departing players.

The Clippers enter the 2018 NBA Draft with two first-round draft picks, which could prove extremely helpful in adding youth and talent to the roster. Should the team elect to stand pat, they will have the opportunity to select from several talented prospects. With no single position of need obvious, the team has an opportunity to simply allow talent and potential dictate who gets the call at the number 12 and 13 spots of the draft.

Various publications and mock drafts suggest that the Clippers, depending on how the draft shakes out, will likely select some combination of the following players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Collin Sexton, Miles Bridges, Kevin Knox, Troy Brown, Michael Porter, Jr., Lonnie Walker, Robert Williams or Zhaire Smith. Of course, a number of these players may unavailable when the Clippers make their selections. Michael Porter, Jr. Kevin Knox, Collin Sexton and Miles Bridges may all be off the board when the Clippers make their selections.

Porter, Jr. has great scoring potential but any chance the team has of drafting him would be predicated on his stock falling due to long-term health concerns regarding his back. Sexton is a solid choice and could give the team a long-term option at point guard. Currently, Teodosic, already in his thirties, and Patrick Beverley, coming back from microfracture knee surgery, do not represent a long-term plan at the point. Gilgeous-Alexander of Kentucky represents a realistic choice as to availability and fit. Teams are always eager for a capable player and defender on the wing and the Kentucky product has shown the potential to play on and off the ball and defend multiple positions. Knox and Walker represent the potential so many teams hope for and could be steals if selected 12th or 13th overall. Williams is a Texas A&M product and an athletic rim-running center who doesn’t need the ball to be successful which sounds very similar to a young DeAndre Jordan. With the very real prospect of a Jordan’s departure this summer or next, many see the Clippers possibly taking Williams as the logical player to replace Jordan long-term.

The Clippers have been holding workouts, which includes a few of the above players, and others, as the team nears the draft. Basketball Insiders Eric Pincus confirmed a workout between Brown and Smith earlier this week for the Clippers.

Whoever is ultimately chosen, the team has a unique opportunity to bolster its overall talent level with two Lottery picks. This comes at a critical time as the team, for the first time in the coach Rivers era, made great use of younger players rather than veterans on the tailend of their respective careers.

An added benefit of having the Lottery picks is the more remote opportunity the team uses them to facilitate other transactions. Observers of the league were somewhat stunned when, instead of having Paul re-sign or simply depart via free agency last summer, the team was instead able to facilitate Paul’s desire to join the Rockets through a sign and trade that yielded the Clippers much-needed assets in return. The even more unexpected Griffin trade yielded relief from Griffin’s newly signed and very expensive contract in exchange for younger talent and future flexibility.

Now the team, headed by Lawrence Frank and Jerry West, has the opportunity to flip either pick, trade up or down in the draft or maneuver the team to acquire any of the potential big name free agents that have been rumored as available the last few months. While the prospect of landing LeBron James, Paul George, or Kawhi Leonard (via trade) is highly unlikely, the Clippers have recently made surprising and aggressive moves recently. The Clippers must deal with a roster that has a lot of moving parts and with an aggressive front office, two Lottery picks and other moveable assets, the Clippers are in position to address multiple issues in preparation for next season and beyond.