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Colangelo wants Sixers to be 'very competitive in three years'

TORONTO - There was a time, not too long ago, when the 76ers never talked openly about their time line to become competitive.

TORONTO - There was a time, not too long ago, when the 76ers never talked openly about their time line to become competitive.

Those days are over.

"I'd like to see us very competitive in three years. . . . That means not just making the playoffs," said Jerry Colangelo, who was hired as chairman of basketball operations in December.

Being competitive by that time no longer seems far-fetched for the Sixers (8-45) since Colangelo was hired. The Hall of Famer instantly brought credibility back to the franchise when he agreed to a three-year contract to run the team.

Before his hiring, the Sixers were not a desired destination for free agents. There were even some draft prospects who refused to work out for the team. Word around the league was that very few players would want to come to Philadelphia until the team hired a well-respected basketball mind.

In Colangelo, they now have one of the best. The four-time executive of the year has a solid relationship with agents and is widely respected in basketball circles.

His reputation and status, combined with plenty of salary-cap space, should help the Sixers attract some solid free agents this summer. There's also a chance that they could have as many as four first-round picks in the NBA draft in June. The Sixers could use those picks to draft players, move up in the draft, or make a trade.

The draft picks are their own, the Los Angeles Lakers' top-three-protected pick, the Miami Heat's top-10-protected pick, and the Oklahoma City Thunder's top-15-protected pick.

"I would hope that the Sixers are in a lot better shape than what they were from the time I started," Colangelo said of when his contract expires. "That only means if I can help contribute to an improvement of the franchise. That's why I'm there."

He's already made drastic improvements, hiring Mike D'Antoni as the associate head coach and trading for point guard Ish Smith.

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

www.philly.com/sixersblog