Bryan Colangelo
Bryan Colangelo | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 1, 1965 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupation | Basketball executive |
| Known for | General manager of Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, and Phoenix Suns; NBA Executive of the Year (2005, 2007) |
Bryan Paul Colangelo (born June 1, 1965) is a prominent American basketball executive known for his roles as general manager with the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, and Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Additionally, he held the position of president of basketball operations for both Philadelphia and Toronto. He is the son of Jerry Colangelo, a notable figure in Phoenix sports. Bryan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and applied economics from Cornell University. His achievements include receiving the NBA Executive of the Year Award twice, in 2005 and 2007.
Early life
Raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Colangelo grew up immersed in basketball as his father managed and eventually owned the Phoenix Suns. After completing his studies at Central High School, he played as a guard on Cornell University's men's basketball team. Following his graduation, he initially pursued a career in real estate within New York City.
Phoenix Suns
Beginning his tenure with the Suns' front office in 1991, Colangelo advanced to general manager by 1995, taking over from his father. During this period, he drafted future NBA talents such as Shawn Marion and Amar'e Stoudemire. Notably, he orchestrated a trade sending Jason Kidd to acquire Stephon Marbury, later swapping Marbury along with Penny Hardaway to clear salary cap space. This financial flexibility allowed him to re-sign Steve Nash in 2004, who subsequently earned back-to-back NBA MVP honors in 2005 and 2006. Nash's leadership contributed to the Suns achieving a 62–20 record and securing the top seed in the Western Conference during the 2004–05 season. These strategic decisions earned Colangelo the 2005 NBA Executive of the Year Award.
In 2005, Colangelo executed a trade sending Joe Johnson to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for two first-round draft picks and Boris Diaw, who was later recognized as the 2006 NBA Most Improved Player. Despite facing injuries among key players, the Suns maintained their dominance by winning the Pacific Division once again. Beyond basketball, Colangelo served as president of Phoenix Arena Sports (PAS) from 1991 until 2002, managing teams such as the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. Under his guidance, the Rattlers secured championships in both 1994 and 1997, while the Mercury advanced to the WNBA finals in 1998. His executive prowess was acknowledged when he received the AFL Executive of the Year award in 1993.
Toronto Raptors
Colangelo stepped down from his role with the Suns on February 27, 2006, and was appointed president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors the following day. Shortly after, on May 23, 2006, he successfully acquired the first overall selection in that year's NBA draft.
Among his early transactions were trading first-round pick Rafael Araújo for players Robert Whaley and Kris Humphries. He also dealt fan favorite Matt Bonner, along with Eric Williams and a second-round pick in 2009 to the Spurs for center Radoslav Nesterovič. Whaley was later released by the team. Furthermore, he swapped promising rookie Charlie Villanueva for point guard T. J. Ford.
With the top pick in the 2006 draft, Colangelo selected Italian forward Andrea Bargnani, marking him as the first European player chosen number one overall—a decision that attracted criticism due to Bargnani’s failure to meet initial expectations. To strengthen Toronto’s roster further, he signed European free agents including Jorge Garbajosa and Anthony Parker. On July 16, 2006, Colangelo secured a contract extension for star player Chris Bosh valued at up to US$65 million over four seasons beginning with 2007–08.
2007: Executive of the Year
In 2007, the Raptors secured the Atlantic Division title with a 47–35 record, a milestone achievement for the franchise. This significant improvement from their 27–55 performance in the 2005–06 season was largely credited to Colangelo's extensive roster revamp, which introduced nine new players. Shortly after the Raptors were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Colangelo was honored with the 2007 Executive of the Year Award.
During the offseason, he traded second-round draft picks from 2009 and 2011 to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Carlos Delfino, and also signed Jason Kapono to a multi-year deal.
2008–2013
On July 6, 2008, Colangelo orchestrated a trade sending point guard T. J. Ford to the Indiana Pacers in return for Jermaine O'Neal, while also acquiring draft rights to Nathan Jawai. In this transaction, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston, and rights to Roy Hibbert were sent to Indiana. This trade was later regarded as unfavorable for Toronto.
Seventeen games into the season, Colangelo replaced head coach Sam Mitchell with assistant coach Jay Triano, who became the first Canadian-born head coach in NBA history.
In the 2009 NBA draft, Colangelo chose DeMar DeRozan ninth overall. Two years later, in 2011, he selected Jonas Valančiūnas fifth overall; Valančiūnas joined the Raptors roster in 2012.
July 2012 featured a trade where Gary Forbes and a first-round pick were exchanged for Kyle Lowry. That October, DeRozan agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $38 million.
On May 21, 2013, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment announced they were seeking a new general manager while Colangelo retained his role as team president. He resigned from the presidency on June 26, 2013. Despite facing criticism toward the end of his tenure, Colangelo was acknowledged for establishing a foundation that enabled future achievements under his successor Masai Ujiri.
Following his time with Toronto, Colangelo served as an independent scout and consultant for NBA executives and agents. In January 2016, he was considered a leading candidate for the Brooklyn Nets’ general manager position but ultimately lost out to Sean Marks.
Philadelphia 76ers
In April 2016, Colangelo was named president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers. His father, Jerry Colangelo, initially held the role of chairman of basketball operations but stepped down following Bryan’s hiring, remaining involved as a special adviser. The previous general manager, Sam Hinkie, resigned shortly before Bryan Colangelo’s appointment.
Colangelo used the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft to select Ben Simmons, alongside first-round selections Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz. Simmons missed the entire 2016–17 season due to a foot fracture. During that offseason, Colangelo also signed veterans Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson, and Sergio Rodriguez. At the 2017 trade deadline, he dealt center Nerlens Noel to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, and two second-round draft picks. In June 2017, Colangelo moved up in the draft by trading the third overall pick and a future first-rounder to the Boston Celtics in order to select Markelle Fultz first overall. Under his guidance, the 76ers surpassed 50 wins and reached the second round of playoffs during his second season.
On May 29, 2018, an investigation by The Ringer accused Colangelo of operating multiple anonymous Twitter accounts that criticized former GM Hinkie and players including Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor. The organization launched an internal inquiry while Colangelo denied these claims. On June 7, 2018, he resigned amid controversy involving several fake accounts created by his wife that leaked confidential team information. Head coach Brett Brown took over as interim general manager until former player Elton Brand was appointed GM on September 20.
Personal life
Prior to his tenure with the Phoenix Suns, Colangelo dedicated four years working at a prestigious commercial real estate company located on Wall Street.
He is married to Barbara Bottini, who was born in Italy, and together they have two children.
In 2015, Colangelo was in the process of securing his permanent resident status in Canada.