Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey has had quite the busy offseason and one of the many players he has acquired is Eric Gordon. Morey had previously also signed Gordon when he was the GM of the Houston Rockets from 2007 to 2020 and the guard has become the 12th player he acquired for both franchises.
Dwight Howard – 76ers (2020-21), Rockets (2013-2016)
Gary Clark – 76ers (2021), Rockets (2018-2020)
James Harden – 76ers (2022-2023), Rockets (2012-2021)
P.J. Tucker – 76ers (2022-2023), Rockets (2017-2021)
Montrezl Harrell – 76ers (2022-2023), Rockets (2015-2017)
Danuel House – 76ers (2022-2024), Rockets (2018-2021)
De’Anthony Melton – 76ers (2022-2024), Rockets (2018)
Patrick Beverley – 76ers (2022-2023), Rockets (2013-2017)
Robert Covington – 76ers (2023-2024), Rockets (2013-2014)
Marcus Morris – 76ers (2023-24), Rockets (2011-2013)
Kyle Lowry – 76ers (2024), Rockets (2009-2012)
Eric Gordon – 76ers (2024-Present), Rockets (2016-2023)
Safe to say, Morey, who took over as president of basketball operations for the 76ers in 2020, appears to have a soft spot for players whom he had acquired in the past. Among all these players, though, I would say that James Harden and De’Anthony Melton were the only ones who did well for the 76ers.
During his time with the franchise, Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 10.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. His relationship with Morey broke down in 2023, however, and he ended up being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Melton, meanwhile, was a productive role player who averaged 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the 76ers. Had he not been dealing with a back injury for much of last season, he might still have been with the franchise today. Melton was let go in free agency and signed with the Golden State Warriors.
Gordon will likely take up Melton’s minutes next season, and Morey would be hoping this is another successful signing. The 35-year-old averaged 11.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Phoenix Suns in 2023-24. Gordon was a bit inconsistent for the Suns and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact he will have on his new team.
Daryl Morey Has Gone All In This Offseason
I mentioned earlier about this being a busy offseason for Morey and the 51-year-old has gone all in, as he chases that elusive NBA championship. The 76ers signed Paul George to a four-year, $212 million deal and not long after, Caleb Martin was also snapped up on a four-year $32 million deal.
Tyrese Maxey, meanwhile, was given a five-year, $204 million extension while Kelly Oubre was also re-signed on a two-year, $16.3 million deal. Thanks to these deals, the 76ers have been viewed as one of the biggest winners this offseason and will be serious title contenders next season.
Will they win it all, though? I have my doubts. The biggest concern with his team is the one we have had for years, health. Superstar big man Joel Embiid was once again dealing with injuries in the playoffs in 2024 and you wonder if he’ll ever be healthy for a postseason run moving forward.
George has also missed a fair bit of time due to injuries in recent years and if the two big guns can’t stay upright, then more disappointment awaits for the 76ers. I hope for Morey’s sake, that the injury bug doesn’t strike in 2024-25.
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