The Philadelphia 76ers are wasting no time in making the most of other team’s departures, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that they’re set to hire former Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey as their new President of Basketball Operations.
Morey stepped down from his role with the Houston Rockets in the aftermath of this season, and some people speculated that it would take some time before he found another job following the controversy with China and Hong Kong.
The league lost a lot of money and censored the NBA after Morey’s comments about their situation. However – and admirably – that didn’t stop another team from making a run at him. Now, per Woj, they’ll announce the deal in the next few days:
The Philadelphia 76ers are in advanced talks on a deal to hire Daryl Morey to oversee the franchise's basketball operations, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 28, 2020
A deal is expected to be finalized in the next few days, and Sixers GM Elton Brand is expected to remain in his current position, sources said. https://t.co/fHb5Mds9yG
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 28, 2020
Woj added that the Sixers immediately reached out to him after leaving the Rockets and that his relationship with new coach Doc Rivers also played a part in the hiring:
Conversations with the Sixers and Daryl Morey started shortly after his departure from Houston, escalated in recent days and will culminate with Morey becoming the Sixers new President, sources tell ESPN. Doc Rivers and Morey have a strong relationship and history together.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 28, 2020
Morey has a reputation for being aggressive when it comes to making moves. He took James Harden to Houston and made them perennial contenders, even though he fell short of the goal of leading them to an NBA Championship.
This hire further proves that the Sixers are going to do whatever it takes to make the most of their core of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, so we’ll have to see what Morey has planned for the next step of The Process.
