Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey walked into the team's practice gym on Friday afternoon, acknowledging that his inability to find rotation upgrades for head coach Nick Nurse at the trade deadline was disappointing. However, he expressed optimism about the current group, arguing that it is still an exciting team with a healthy Joel Embiid rounding into form and Tyrese Maxey taking a leap towards becoming an All-Star.
When asked about fans who think he was merely focused on getting the Sixers under the luxury tax for the sake of saving ownership money, Morey emphasized that his primary goal was to add to the team and improve its chances in the playoffs. He acknowledged that the CBA pressures were felt across the league and that the first apron created a challenge in signing players to long-term deals.
Morey did not wait to trade Jared McCain given his sophomore struggles after a thrilling rookie season, at least until he was sure he could utilize the draft picks he was receiving. The team's lack of guard depth was cited as a reason for Maxey and Eric Gordon being overburdened in recent games.
The organization has two open roster spots left to fill, with Morey preferring to focus on adding a guard and wing to balance out the roster. He acknowledged that finding players who can contribute in meaningful ways was challenging at the deadline.
Despite the lack of moves made during the trade deadline, Morey remains optimistic about the team's chances in the playoffs, citing the growth of players like Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. The team's defense will need to be next-man-up with Paul George suspended for 25 games, but head coach Nick Nurse has been praised for his creative approach to lineup adjustments.
Overall, Morey's comments highlighted the challenges faced by the Sixers at the trade deadline, while also showcasing his optimism about the team's future prospects.
When asked about fans who think he was merely focused on getting the Sixers under the luxury tax for the sake of saving ownership money, Morey emphasized that his primary goal was to add to the team and improve its chances in the playoffs. He acknowledged that the CBA pressures were felt across the league and that the first apron created a challenge in signing players to long-term deals.
Morey did not wait to trade Jared McCain given his sophomore struggles after a thrilling rookie season, at least until he was sure he could utilize the draft picks he was receiving. The team's lack of guard depth was cited as a reason for Maxey and Eric Gordon being overburdened in recent games.
The organization has two open roster spots left to fill, with Morey preferring to focus on adding a guard and wing to balance out the roster. He acknowledged that finding players who can contribute in meaningful ways was challenging at the deadline.
Despite the lack of moves made during the trade deadline, Morey remains optimistic about the team's chances in the playoffs, citing the growth of players like Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. The team's defense will need to be next-man-up with Paul George suspended for 25 games, but head coach Nick Nurse has been praised for his creative approach to lineup adjustments.
Overall, Morey's comments highlighted the challenges faced by the Sixers at the trade deadline, while also showcasing his optimism about the team's future prospects.
... teams are always worried about taking on salary cap issues and luxury tax penalties, it's a tough game out there 
. i think its cool that he's still optimistic about the team's chances in the playoffs tho 
, joeled embiid is looking like his old self again and tyrese maxey is definitely coming into form 
️... the defense will need to step up with paul george out for a bit, but nick nurse has shown some creative ways to mix things up 
. i kinda feel bad for jared mccain tho, got roasted on social media after his sophomore struggles 
. still excited to see what the rest of the season holds for the 76ers 
, I think he was really clear about what he was trying to do, even if it wasn't what everyone wanted to hear 
. fans need to chill out a bit, we all know the CBA is a mess and it's hard to find players willing to commit to long-term deals 
. plus, maxey and edgecombe are actually turning out to be pretty legit contributors 
! I'm low-key hyped for the playoffs now 
. I get that CBA pressures are a thing, but come on, a team that's supposed to be a contender is being held back by its inability to sign players to long-term deals? 
. I just don't buy it. The Sixers have been playing with a bunch of patchwork lineups, and it's only a matter of time before they start to fall apart 
. Give me something, Daryl! Something that shows you're actually committed to winning 
We've seen this play out for years, teams always trying to patch together their roster instead of making some real moves.
. Let's be real, the CBA pressures are tough across the league, but Morey's still focused on making the team better. He didn't give in to just saving money 
.
. I love Nick Nurse's creativity, but they're gonna need more than just "next-man-up" to make some noise in the playoffs 
. Now we're stuck with Maxey and Gordon playing way too much 
. I'm still rooting for this team, though - Embiid's getting back on track and VJ Edgecombe's a dark horse to watch out for 
. The fact that they didn't make any big moves at the deadline doesn't mean they're give up on their season – it just means they were waitin' for the right guys to come along 
.
. And hey, if Maxey and Edgecombe are gonna step up and lead the team to victory, I got no problem with that 
. The defense will just have to get creative with those lineup adjustments... and Paul George ain't got nothin' on Nick Nurse 
.
. Morey needs 2 step up his game or get outta here 
Daryl Morey is just trying to save money and the ownership is going to love him for it... 
The fact that he couldn't even get a decent trade done and had to sit on some draft picks is just embarrassing... 
But hey, Maxey's growth and Edgecombe's potential are supposed to make up for it, right? 
Just looked at the stats on Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this season... 
but I'm sure he'll bounce back, especially when you consider his 25+ PPG average over the past two playoffs 
averaging 21.5 points and 4.2 assists in the last five games... that's some serious All-Star potential right there! 
Now if they can just get another guard on the roster, I think we're gonna see some big things from this team in the playoffs... 
I mean, they didn't make any moves and now Paul George is out for 25 games? 
. Of course, the playoffs are always tough, but I think the team has a good shot at making it 
. One thing I would love to see is them pick up a solid guard to balance out the roster 
. But at the same time, I feel like we saw some promising young players like Maxey and Edgecombe who could've been a game-changer if they got some more playing time 
.
! They're so talented and it's exciting to see them grow into their roles 
.
. The fact that he's not willing to make any real moves because of the luxury tax is just lazy 
. It's all just a bunch of PR fluff at this point 
.
. but at the same time, he still thinks his team has potential 
especially with joel embiid rounding back up and tyrese maxey taking his game to the next level 
he's definitely creative with his rotations. and with paul george suspended for 25 games, i think our sixers team is gonna have to step up their game 
... bring on the playoffs! 
and how amazing their crust is? Like, have you guys tried it? It's so flaky and buttery... reminds me of when my grandma used to make these homemade pies back in the day 
. Anyway, back to the Sixers... Morey makes some good points about needing guard depth, but I'm still holding out hope they can magically fix their wing situation without breaking the bank 
. But seriously, I get it, he wants to build a deep squad and make a playoff push. The Sixers have some talent, they just need to find that next guy 
. The defense will be like "next-man-up", but I'm sure Nick Nurse's got this 
.