The Philadelphia 76ers may have already cut ties with their former team president in Daryl Morey, but the longtime executive's influence can still be heavily felt across the organization. In fact, the team had just unwrapped what can be deemed to be his parting gift to the franchise after they drafted Labaron Philon Jr. with the 22nd overall pick in the recently concluded 2026 NBA Draft.
Of course, Philon was selected by Philly with the exact draft pick they received from the Thunder (which OKC had earlier acquired from the Rockets) in the highly divisive and controversial Jared McCain trade which got Morey and his crew a lot of vitriol and derision among fans and pundits alike for months. While it is still way too early to call their draft choice a win, Philon is definitely someone who can help the team forget about McCain.
Philon, who was a standout in college for Alabama, entered the draft as one of the best scoring prospects in his class. He was someone who was pegged to be a lottery pick by many, yet he fell all the way to the 76ers at No. 22. Now, the team has someone who can help them cancel out their major weakness from recent years, which is scoring off the bench.
The 76ers unwrap Daryl Morey's final gift to the franchise
Morey is not going to get absolved for the many mistakes he incurred as the lead decision-maker for the 76ers for nearly six years just with this draft pick. However, it is still important to note that now, the team has something that they can count on to flip the ugly narrative that has embroiled them since they shipped McCain away to Oklahoma City.
Philon's upside is good and all, but what matters more to most people is his actual production, even as a rookie. Fortunately for him, the 76ers have a pressing enough need for firepower in their second unit that no matters what happens, he will most likely get thrown into the fire right from the get go. That will make Morey's decision much less painful compared to when McCain was thriving in OKC and making his former team look utterly stupid.
The Philadelphia 76ers have had major breakthroughs in the draft in recent years, and after fumbling the bag with one of those prospects, they now have another chance to light the fuse on a potential cornerstone for their future. And no matter how awkward this sounds, Daryl Morey had a part in it.
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