Longtime Sixers exec Rozman joining Thunder front office originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
After approximately a decade and a half with the Sixers, assistant general manager Vince Rozman is moving to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that Rozman will join Oklahoma City as the team’s vice president of identification and intelligence.
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey replied to Wojnarowski’s tweet, writing that Rozman “has been a critical part of the Sixers’ strong player evaluation process for a long time and will be missed — we wish him the best with OKC.”
When the Sixers hired Morey in 2020, there was minimal time left before the NBA draft. Rozman was running the Sixers’ pre-draft process and responsible for getting Morey up to speed.
“It’s been great, honestly. … I think we’ve all been kind of in a firefight, because he’s been here for two weeks and we need to catch him up,” Rozman said in November of 2020. “We felt really, really prepared to be able to do it. The good thing is we tend to think similarly on players, so that’s helpful. If you think of it from Daryl’s standpoint, he’s coming in, he needs to catch up on the roster, he needs to catch up on our scouting staff, the front office, the draft.
“I think we’re all lucky that he’s obviously well-qualified to do it. But I don’t know that the process has necessarily changed. Instead of informing (general manager Elton Brand) and talking through all the draft-related possible transactions or players or what have you with Elton and our scouting staff, it’s now with Elton and Daryl, and obviously (executive vice president of basketball operations) Peter Dinwiddie, as well, to be ready for (draft night).”
The 2020 draft ended up being a strong one for Rozman, Morey and the Sixers. The team took Tyrese Maxey 21st, Isaiah Joe 49th and Paul Reed 58th.
The Sixers did not keep a draft pick this year, sending No. 23 to the Grizzlies in a trade for De’Anthony Melton. They don’t currently own a 2023 first-rounder as a result of the James Harden deal.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City has amassed a sizable haul of picks, including the Sixers’ 2025 first-round selection (via the Al Horford-Danny Green trade, protected for picks one through six) and the Sixers’ 2025 second-rounder (via the George Hill deal).
Rozman rose up the Sixers’ ranks after starting with the team in 2006 as an intern. He’s become a versatile, well-regarded executive.
“When I started, I filled fridges, got credentials for scouts — all the fun work,” Rozman told Sixers.com’s Lauren Rosen in 2021. “Front offices were small at that point. It was bare bones.”