Last night, Daryl Morey continued his post-trade deadline interviews, appearing on the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast. During their conversation, Morey dropped a few interesting tidbits about the deadline and moves that could be on the horizon for the 76ers.

Trade Deadline

The first takeaway was that a few days before the Sixers landed Harden, one of their “very good” options they heavily explored was suddenly shifted. Morey didn’t go into further details, but there are two likely possibilities.

One of which was Bradley Beal, who opted to undergo wrist surgery ruling him out for the remainder of the season. The other is Tyrese Haliburton, who was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis.

Ultimately the waiting paid off, and Morey gave extensive credit to Joel Embiid for his patience throughout this process. Mentioning that without the organizational alignment on the situation that a deal of this caliber may have never gotten done.

Morey confirmed that there would have been something very close to “groveling” to Ben Simmons and his camp had a trade not happened before the deadline. The plan was to do everything in their power to convince Simmons to return to the court for the 76ers and try to help win a title. Luckily, this is not something that they have to worry about.

Buyout Market

A few minutes later, Morey was asked about the buyout market, to which he revealed they are close to signing a player that is being bought out, and he’s annoyed they haven’t been able to announce it yet officially.

The RTRS crew poked around at the question, and Morey revealed their most significant need was a backup center that Doc Rivers can trust in the playoffs. It’s unknown who he could be alluding to.

Tristan Thompson was waived but has signed with the Chicago Bulls. The most likely possibility is Orlando Magic center, Robin Lopez. Lopez is a solid replacement for Andre Drummond, who was traded to the Nets in the Harden deal. There has also been mentions of players like Goran Dragic, Gary Harris,, and other guard/wings who could provide some depth for Philadelphia but don’t necessarily complete the need of a backup big.

Over the next few days, we will certainly find out who Morey was alluding to, and it’ll be exciting if the Sixers can land a player of a high caliber to fill their biggest need.

James Harden & Team Going Forward

Obviously a major topic of discussion, James Harden as spoken about glowingly by Daryl Morey which was to be expected but there were a few important points.

Harden traveled with the team to Milwaukee, even when it was advised against so that he could be treated for his hamstring injury. He wanted to be on the sideline with his new teammates and attend the team dinner afterwards to get to know everyone.

Morey couldn’t speak for Harden, but he called the situation a “rosy picture”, and referenced multiple times that the vibe in the locker room has been fantastic since Harden’s arrival. The goal is to win a championship, and for that to happen Morey noted that everyone has to be all in, and now they can ensure that everyone is.

Normally, it is better for everyone’s well being to avoid an Eskin led podcast like the plague, but in this instance it allowed for some great insight on Morey’s perspective. Unlike most executives in the NBA, Morey has been very open about the way he goes about doing his job, and has no problem discussing the recent transgressions in the organization, which allows us the opportunity to know a little bit more about the 76ers and how they are ran.

Mandatory Credit: Audacy