ESPN reported on Tuesday, citing sources, that Daryl Morey has stepped down as president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers. Morey led the team’s front office for six seasons, during which Philadelphia made five playoff appearances and posted a 270-212 regular-season record. However, the franchise never advanced past the second round under his leadership.
Key moves under Morey included the acquisitions of James Harden and Paul George. According to ESPN, the team fell short of expectations. The trio of George, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid played just 43 games together over the last two seasons, including both regular season and playoffs, going 21-22. Their combined salaries for next season total $153 million. Morey also traded rookie Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline; McCain averaged 6.6 points per game in Philadelphia but rose to 10.4 with the Thunder.
Despite Morey’s departure, head coach Nick Nurse is expected to retain his position. ESPN noted that Nurse compiled a 116-130 record over three seasons, heavily impacted by last year’s poor 24-58 mark. He led the 76ers to two playoff appearances and, this season, engineered a first-round comeback from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Celtics—a franchise first. However, Philadelphia fell to the New York Knicks in a four-game sweep during the Eastern Conference semifinals.
