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Santoliquito: Whether Bryan Colangelo Is Guilty Or Not, He Has To Go

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Bryan Colangelo is a smart guy, regardless of what he may be associated with these last few days. He's a Cornell grad, and you have to have more than a few brain cells to get through an Ivy League school like that. He's been a successful NBA executive. You have to know what you're doing to be a two-time NBA Executive of the Year, like Colangelo, who rebuilt the Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors.

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Colangelo has done all of these things, and that's why it's so hard to believe he is involved in any way with this "burner-gate" Twitter mess.

Though it seems, he may be.

And if he is, or he isn't, he has been connected on many fronts to these alleged fake Twitter accounts, as some recent reports are claiming, possibly through his wife, Barbara Bottini.

Nothing is exactly fact just yet.

What is fact is that the Philadelphia 76ers are national laughingstocks once again, and the perception of this tarnishes Colangelo's reputation.

Colangelo is prideful. He is intelligent. He has to know, as the general manager and president of the 76ers, the level of trust he has throughout the league just took a heavy hit. That also comes with the pounding the Sixers may take—if Colangelo stays.

The NBA Draft is nearing. Right after that, free agency will occur.

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Who's going to want to deal with Bryan Colangelo after this? What free agent is going to come here? On Colangelo's side, if somehow he survives this, how is he going to deal with explaining ad nauseum to prospective free agents or NBA draft picks what happened, and how it was really a lot of something over nothing?

So, regrettably, this is what should happen over the next few days: Colangelo gracefully resigns, opening the door and giving the Sixers ample time to hire a new GM and get the franchise pointed back in the direction and business of basketball—not bogged down with silly social media issues that went askew.

Colangelo, in time, can rehabilitate his image, if possible.

In truth, it is the Sixers. They don't do things other teams do. What will happen next is anyone's guess.

But if Colangelo stays, it's not a good look. None of this has been. He's smarter than this.

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