Trust Scale 0: Where’s your faith in Daryl Morey to actually ‘get it right’ this summer for the Philadelphia 76ers?

Daryl Morey better not screw things up beyond repair this summer as the Philadelphia 76ers enter one of the most pivotal Summer’s since, well….last year? 

The championship window is closing for this version of Philadelphia 76ers basketball. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are definitely the right pieces but outside of those two, there’s literally nothing else that will put the Sixers in championship contention on the roster. 

This summer, the Sixers have finally been freed from salary cap and NBA Draft hell and are primed to make a big splash once the offseason really begins on Wednesday night.

The organization will have close to $65 million available in salary-cap space to go along with five first-round picks and multiple pick swaps over the next several seasons available to trade. 

Needless to say, Morey and company need to be on the phones when all of their assets are available on June 26th – the first night of the 2024 NBA Draft. 

While rumors have been swirling in regard to what direction Morey will go come Wednesday, one name that has been mentioned (and removed) multiple times would be Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George. 

Paul George has until Saturday, June 29th to opt into his $48.8 million contract for next season with the Clippers or become an unrestricted free agent.

The Clippers can offer him a four-year, $221 million deal. They haven’t and there have been confirmed reports they refuse to budge on anything more than what they gave Kawhi Leonard which was three years, $152.3 million.

The Los Angeles Clippers don’t have a first round pick on Wednesday night in the 2024 NBA Draft. Because of that, there’s reason to believe they could be looking to trade in order to make a selection. 

That’s exactly what Keith Pompey over at The Inky is thinking – given reports that the Clippers have “interest” in reuniting with Tobias Harris. 

The Sixers could include the No. 16 pick and consider even adding Tobias Harris via a sign-and-trade as part of a package. L.A. has some level of interest in Harris, a soon-to-be free agent and former Clipper, according to a league source. And if George opts to become a free agent, don’t rule out Philly going after him. [Keith Pompey]

Even if Paul George does select his player option to remain in Los Angeles, the Philadelphia 76ers could take the No. 16 overall pick and Tobias Harris and give that package to the Clippers in order to complete a sign-and-trade for George. 

Personally, I don’t need any more Tobias Harris contract PTSD and would rather help him pack his bags so he can leave Philly as soon as possible, but landing George in a sign-and-trade is a deal that Morey and the 76ers would obviously take and Tobias Harris owes us this one last favor after Elton Brand foolishly handed him a max contract.

Can Daryl Morey get it done? Can he get anything done?

Daryl Morey has done next to nothing as the GM for the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Honestly, the ONLY good part of his tenure here in Philadelphia was the 2020 NBA Draft where he snagged Isaiah Joe Tyrese Maxey, and Paul Reed. Even that wasn’t great.

He waived Isaiah Joe and then extended Paul Reed – who has proven time and time again that he’s an unworthy backup to Joel Embiid. 

The Al Horford trade? Necessary but at the same time, put this team in a cap and draft stranglehold until right about now. 

From there, you have you can look at acquiring Seth Curry from the Mavericks in 2020 for Josh Richardson and Tyler Bey as a positive. The following year, landing Andre Drummond and Georges Niang were “okay” moves as well. 

In 2021, he made a move for George Hill at the trade deadline which was a dud. 

In 2022, Morey trades Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and Ben Simmons along with two first-round draft picks for James Harden – which anyone with half of a brain knew was a bad move.

I guess the De’Anthony Melton trade in the 2022 NBA Draft was good? Nope. That turned out to be a dud like the rest. 

He then signed Deandre Jordan, PJ Tucker, Danuel House Jr, and Montrezl Harrell as free agents in 2022. Morey also traded away Matisse Thybulle for Jalen McDaniels and signed Dewayne Dedmon. 

Point Being: Morey’s moves in Philadelphia never seem to work out and really just reflect on how poor of a general manage he truly is while highlighting some amateur decision-making in the process. 

Again, this is a “get it right or find a new job” type of summer for Daryl Morey – who should be considered as one of the most overrated general managers in the history of the NBA.

Maybe it’s just because of past mistakes but I have zero confidence in Morey to maneuver this offseason correctly for the Philadelphia 76ers. 

His basketball team has five first-round picks and multiple pick swaps over the next several seasons available to trade give me nightmares of yet another failed offseason. 

Honestly, I would have fired him shortly after he brought James Harden to Philly in the Ben Simmons trade package when other options included Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield from Sacramento but me screaming about that for MONTHS leading up to Morey’s move fell upon deaf ears. 

I don’t give a shit what he did in Houston. Sorry. Getting to Western Conference Finals and losing is not something that lights me on fire.

He’s been nothing short of a failure here in Philadelphia and the fact that we STILL haven’t built a roster around Embiid is beyond frustrating. 

Join The Chase