After cutting his teeth with the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey was supposed to take the next step in his career and lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship. Instead, the team endured ups and down during Morey’s tenure, leading to the executive’s dismissal on Tuesday.
The news ends Morey’s six-year run with the franchise.
While Morey is out, the Sixers will reportedly retain head coach Nick Nurse. Former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, who now works as president of sports for the Sixers’ parent company, will act as interim GM and lead the search for Morey’s replacement.
Daryl Morey’s Sixers tenure was eventful
Morey faced massive expectations when he joined the 76ers. After leading the Rockets to a ton of success during his tenure, Morey was supposed to be the missing piece who would push the 76ers to a championship. With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons playing at near-MVP levels, Morey’s use of analytics and smart decision-making was expected to bolster an already strong 76ers team.
While the 76ers did a lot of winning during Morey’s tenure, a championship never materialized. Premature playoff exits became the norm under former head coach Doc Rivers and Simmons quickly fell out of favor in the organization.
Morey made the best of the Simmons situation, dealing the guard for star James Harden. That acquisition helped the team win 54 games during the 2022-23 season, though the 76ers again suffered an early exit in the playoffs.
Things declined from there. Harden wasn’t retained, and the team fell from the No. 3 seed in the playoffs to No. 7 during the 2023-24 season. Embiid played in just 39 games, which proved to be the start of a troubling trend for the superstar.
Injuries again sunk the 76ers the following year, as the franchise limped to a 24-58 record. Because of those injuries, a major bounce back was expected this season, as the team would be able to add an elite prospect to team up with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
That prospect, VJ Edgecombe, has looked the part, but yet another injury-riddled season from Embiid dropped the team into the play-in tournament.
Where will Daryl Morey go next?
With his 76ers tenure over, Morey will likely get plenty of attention this offseason. While he’s still looking for his first NBA championship, Morey has proven he can build — or at least build on — consistent winners.
That wasn’t a guarantee when Morey was first hired to be the Houston Rockets’ general manager. While the NBA was using and dabbling with advanced stats at the time, Morey’s elevation into a general manager role solidified their position in the league. Morey’s dependance on those advanced stats — and new technology — has turned him into a bit of a lightning rod around the game. He received plenty of criticism from former players when he admitted the 76ers used AI — artificial intelligence, not Allen Iverson — to make free-agent decisions.
While it had nothing to do with Morey’s in-game tactics, he also was at the center of controversy in 2019, when he tweeted support for freedom in Hong Kong, causing China to suspend its work with the Rockets.
Morey quickly backtracked, but the damage was done. Members of the Rockets denounced Morey’s statement, fearing the team could lose money if China cut ties with the organization. Others criticized Morey for backing down and failing to stand by his original point.
A little over a year later, Morey resigned as the Rockets’ general manager. It’s unclear how — if at all — Morey’s tweet led to his decision to leave the organization. He wasn’t a free agent for long, joining the 76ers just a few weeks later.
Morey could be in for another quick turnaround this offseason. Despite his missteps, he’s shown the ability to build or support title contenders at two different spots. That should make him one of the more coveted executives on the market this offseason.
