Sixers are reportedly ready to fire Daryl Morey and it’s about damn time
The Sixers are reportedly “ready to pull the plug” on Daryl Morey. According to Howard Eskin (lol), the team has been “having serious discussions” to find a new president of basketball operations. Eskin says Morey is “beyond life support” as he tries to hold onto his job after the Sixers got swept by the Knicks in the second round.
Now look. I know it’s Howard Eskin making these comments.
I don’t even think that old, spoiled bag of milk is allowed to step foot in Xfinity Mobile Arena or Citizens Bank Park anymore, so I highly doubt he’s the most reliable source on internal Sixers operations.
When our views align, I’ll happily take what he’s saying and run with it. We’ve been calling for Morey to go on this site for a while now. If Eskin is right, the organization is finally catching up to what the fanbase figured out a long time ago.
The Daryl Morey Resume Speaks for Itself
Five postseason runs under Morey. Zero trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. A 69-95 record across the last two regular seasons. Three max contracts eating over two-thirds of the salary cap while the bench was consistently the worst in the league.
A trade deadline sell-off in February where he shipped Jared McCain to Oklahoma City and told fans he “sold high” on a 22-year-old because the team had a “glut” of guards. Then the playoffs came and Quentin Grimes was the only guard off the bench while Maxey played 47 minutes a night.
Shocker: Joel Embiid was pissed about the Jared McCain trade >>
Morey got some credit early on for turning a disgruntled Ben Simmons into James Harden. That was a legitimately good trade at the time. The Harden tenure didn’t exactly have a happy ending. Harden publicly trashed Morey on his way out of Philadelphia and the relationship deteriorated to the point where the Sixers had to move him.
James Harden: “Daryl Morey is a liar…”
That’s a pattern. Morey acquires big names, the fit doesn’t work long-term, the relationship breaks down, and the Sixers are left picking up the pieces.
The Paul George signing was supposed to be the missing piece. A $212 million contract for an All-Star two-way wing to slot between Embiid and Maxey. George had his moments this postseason, particularly his three-point shooting against the Celtics, but he also disappeared for entire halves of playoff games against the Knicks.
A 15-point first quarter followed by zero points the rest of the way in a home elimination game is not what you pay $50 million a year for.
The McCain trade is the one that might have sealed Morey’s fate. Embiid was publicly unhappy about it. The locker room was unhappy about it. The fans chanted about it. McCain went to Oklahoma City and contributed immediately on a team with actual depth while the Sixers got swept with a bench that scored 11 points in a home playoff game.
Every decision Morey made at the deadline was designed to save money and accumulate future assets instead of helping the current team win. The players knew it. The fans knew it. Now apparently the ownership group knows it too.
Here’s Some Fireable Mistakes from Daryl Morey
Nick Nurse’s Job Is Reportedly Safe
While Morey might be on his way out, reports indicate that Nick Nurse’s position remains secure. I have mixed feelings about that. Nurse coached through his brother’s death and led the historic 3-1 comeback against the Celtics. The decision to empower Edgecombe from day one was the best coaching decision anyone in the organization made all season. Those things matter.
The overall tenure has been disappointing. A 24-58 season followed by a year where the Sixers needed a miracle comeback just to survive the first round. The rotations have been questionable at times. The short bench approach against the Knicks didn’t work. Whether that’s Nurse’s fault or a roster construction issue is debatable, but the results haven’t matched the expectations since he arrived.
If the Sixers keep Nurse and fire Morey, the new POBO needs to give Nurse an actual roster to work with before judging him. The man has been coaching with one hand tied behind his back for two years because the bench has been empty.
I Also Want Josh Harris to Sell
Firing Daryl Morey is a start. But the real problem sits above him. Josh Harris owns this team and treats it like a side project while he focuses on the Commanders. The Sixers need an owner who is fully invested in making this franchise a championship contender, not a billionaire who splits his attention between two cities and shows up courtside with Epstein-adjacent cabinet members.
Trying to pry the Sixers out of a billionaire’s hands is probably too tall a task. But if the organization is serious about changing direction, getting rid of Morey is the first step. The second step is finding a POBO who will build a complete roster instead of chasing stars and ignoring depth. The third step is Harris either fully committing to the Sixers or getting out of the way.
Same Problems, Same Result: Sixers swept by the Knicks and nothing changes until the top does >>
Maxey is entering his prime. Edgecombe is ascending. Embiid’s window is closing. The clock is ticking and the organization has wasted enough time. Fire Daryl Morey. Hire someone who understands that roster construction means more than collecting max contracts. Build around the Maxey-Edgecombe backcourt. Give this franchise a real chance before the opportunity is gone.
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We need a billionaire who cares about this city to step up and buy them no matter the cost. Josh Harris simply does not care about us. Our city sport teams are not to be taken for side quests and half-assed billionaire projects. Do that to another franchise but don’t do that here.