Daryl Morey provides key updates on Sixers trades and free agency
Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, joined local Philly radio host, Anthony Gargano, on The Fanatic morning show yesterday to discuss all things Sixers. The conversation spanned a number of topics, but key among them were James Harden’s trade request, Joel Embiid’s cryptic comments, and roster construction.
Will James Harden be on the Sixers’ roster come opening day?
Morey and Harden’s close relationship is well-documented and that is why it is no surprise that the Sixers President is trying to honor Harden’s trade request. Discussing the topic with Gargano, Morey noted “At this moment, [Harden] prefers to be traded, and we are attempting to honor that.” This should not come as a surprise to Sixers fans or other NBA teams, but the trade urgency is another matter altogether.
In return for Harden, Morey has a very specific return package in mind. “If we don’t get either a very good player or something we can turn into a very good player, then we’re just not going to do it.” This quote seems to imply the Sixers will be playing the long game, similar to what they did with Ben Simmons, and because of that there is a world where Harden is on the Sixers roster when the 2023-24 season begins in October.
Morey is not concerned at all about Joel Embiid’s recent comments.
Embiid went viral this week when in an interview with Rich Paul he said he wants to win a Championship “whether it’s in Philly or anywhere else.” He later tweeted that he was just trolling, as he often does, and Morey seems to agree with that sentiment. When asked about this by Gargano, Morey replied :
"“He and I spoke, but part of it’s just at the end of the day, he’s talking about the business of the NBA. In his mind, he wants to win here. He wants to win it for Philly. That’s the only place he wants to win. He absolutely was sort of referencing the fact that it’s not totally in his control where he is at all times.”"
This does seem to be a propped-up storyline that is being fueled by the stagnant offseason news cycle but the Sixers fans are in no mood to hear this considering how the most recent NBA season ended for the team. Morey’s appearance on local radio did quell some concerns and he preached patience throughout: patience with the Harden situation, patience with additional free agency moves, and patience with the roster construction this year and for future years.
Philly fans are not the most patient, but at the moment, what other choice do we have?
