The Philadelphia 76ers have fired Daryl Morey after a tumultuous season, raising questions about the future of key players like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The team faces uncertainty as it navigates a mix of veteran talent and emerging stars.
Key points
Daryl Morey was fired after six seasons with the 76ers.
The team had a mixed season, including a playoff series win and a sweep by the Knicks.
Philadelphia's future is uncertain with a blend of veterans and young stars.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey's timelines need to be managed carefully.
The Philadelphia 76ers had a roller coaster of a season, peaking with a playoff series win against the Boston Celtics but cratering when they were swept by the New York Knicks. After the 76ers were eliminated, Philadelphia made the decision to move on from executive Daryl Morey, who had spent six seasons leading the team's basketball operations. The 76ers are now moving into an uncertain future, as the team is partially high-priced veterans and partially young and exciting potential stars.
Philadelphia will be one of the more interesting teams in the offseason as they try to figure out how to manage the timelines of both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Here's what Morey's firing means for the organization.
Q&A
What does Daryl Morey's firing mean for the 76ers' future?
Morey's firing signals a shift in the 76ers' strategy as they look to balance their roster of veterans and young talent.
How will Daryl Morey's departure affect Joel Embiid?
Embiid's future with the team may be impacted as the 76ers reassess their direction and roster following Morey's exit.
What are the implications for Nick Nurse after Morey's firing?
Nick Nurse's role may change as the 76ers seek to redefine their team identity and strategy in light of Morey's departure.
What challenges do the 76ers face in managing their roster?
The 76ers must navigate the complexities of integrating high-priced veterans with promising young players like Tyrese Maxey.
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Morey spent the past six seasons leading the 76ers, and Philadelphia increased its win total in each of the first three seasons. That included two 50-win seasons and three straight trips to the second round of the playoffs.
However, the last three seasons did not see the same success. Philadelphia lost in the first round as a No. 7 seed in 2024, then finished with a losing record last year and missed the playoffs with one of the worst records in the NBA.
While the 76ers did make the second round of the playoffs this year, the team was still a No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Overall, Morey's 76ers made the Eastern Conference Semifinals four times with two different coaches but never made it to the conference finals.
Morey did provide the 76ers with some key cornerstone pieces by drafting Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe, but the team lacked depth beyond its top four players. The Paul George contract appears like an overpay, while the Joel Embiid contract also appears to be trending in the wrong direction.
Therefore, the 76ers decided the team needed to go in a direction. For now, former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers will lead the team on an interim basis. Myers is also expected to lead the search for a new basketball executive.
For now, the 76ers are keeping Nick Nurse as their head coach amid the front office shakeup. In three years with the 76ers, Nurse has gone 116-130 with two playoff appearances, both as a No. 7 seed, while winning one playoff series in that span.
It's certainly possible that a new executive decides to move on from Nurse, but Philadelphia owner Josh Harris opted not to clean house. Nurse is an NBA Finals champion as a head coach from his time leading the Toronto Raptors to a title in 2019, but he has yet to come close to that level of success in Toronto or Philadelphia since.
Embiid signed a three-year, $188 million extension with the 76ers in 2024 that doesn't kick in until next season. Therefore, Embiid is locked into Philadelphia for the next two years with salaries at $58 million and $63 million, and he has a $67 million player option for the 2028-29 season. As a result, it will be tough for the 76ers to trade Embiid even if the new executive decides to try and explore Embiid trade possibilities. Embiid will have the sixth-highest cap hit in the NBA next season, which would limit his potential suitors before even considering if those suitors want to acquire Embiid.
The 76ers' new executive is likely to have to figure out how to build around Embiid for the next few seasons.
What Daryl Morey firing means for 76ers
By firing Morey, the 76ers could be looking to go in a new organizational direction, although that won't be clear until the team makes a new hire. Philadelphia is locked into Joel Embiid and Paul George on bloated contracts, while Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe look like two cornerstone players moving forward.
The 76ers new hire will have to figure out how to surround those big four players with more depth than Morey brought to the team this year. So, while the Morey firing appears big on first glance, the future of the team in the near-term will remain pretty similar.
