Is Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver the new Sam Hinkie?

Why Troy Weaver is imitating Hinkie’s ‘The Process’

When Sam Hinkie took over as general manager of the 76ers in 2013, he took over a team in ruins due to a disastrous trade for center Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Weaver was put in charge of a Pistons team in June, 2020 that was coming off of a 20-46 season, and had just one draft pick to try and start a rebuilding process.

So it was not like Weaver or Hinkie were taking over the 1990 Pistons. Both teams were not good and seemed to have no path to future success.

Hinkie began The Process on draft night by trading his best player, all-star guard Jrue Holiday, for a package that included the No. 6 pick, where they took Nerlens Noel.

Weaver also was busy in his first NBA Draft. By the end of the night, Detroit had made four draft picks, even though a few hours earlier they only had one. Weaver got all the additional selections without giving up their own pick in the first round, No. 7, where they picked guard Killian Hayes.

To gather the additional draft picks, Weaver used a tactic that Hinkie perfected. Taking on other team’s toxic contracts they wanted to get out of, in return for draft choices was a 76er special.

At one point, Hinkie had stockpiled 25 additional second-round draft picks for the Sixers.

Weaver has not shown to be quite as fond of second-round picks as Hinkie. He included four in a trade for the No. 19 pick in the draft (where they took Saddiq Bey).

He did do, just like Hinkie, trade off his top asset. Luke Kennard was part of the deal that resulted in Bey.

Both Hinkie and Weaver have the support of upper management for their complete changeover of the roster.

Ironically, current Pistons senior advisor Ed Stefanski had held Hinkie’s position running the 76ers only two years before his arrival.

While Troy Weaver may not be trying to emulate Hinkie’s time in Philadelphia, he certainly is taking a few pages from The Process playbook.