The Philadelphia 76ers’ best move of the offseason isn't signing LeBron James, it isn't trading for Jaylen Brown, it isn't getting rid of Paul George... it's firing Daryl Morey. The former president of basketball ops overpaid Joel Embiid, disastrously signed Paul George, created a James Harden drama, and was part of a Ben Simmons disaster. The Sixers always had a nightmare brewing under his leadership, but things have quickly changed.
Bob Myers has taken on a larger role since Morey’s departure, and new general manager Mike Gansey has remade the team. They somehow turned PG’s disastrous contract into Jaylen Brown and parlayed that move into LeBron. Gansey had a relationship with King James from their time together in Cleveland. The Brown trade improved the Sixers' title odds and helped secure LeBron.
Morey’s big transactions since the 2025 trade deadline were trading for Quentin Grimes and dumping Jared McCain. He clearly couldn’t build the 76ers into a title contender. Morey deserves credit for drafting Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, but the rest of his roster construction was always bordering on disastrous.
76ers don’t pull this off without firing Daryl Morey
The Sixers won 56 percent of their regular season games under Morey and made the playoffs five times in six years, but he was supposed to bring them a championship. Philly had made the playoffs three straight years before he arrived and still hasn’t advanced beyond the second round. It was clearly time to move on, and the 76ers nailed the new hire.
Morey built the Rockets into a contender, but the 53-year-old hasn’t won a championship in 19 years as his team’s lead executive. The Sixers went from pulling off a shocking first-round playoff upset on the Celtics to having Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in three months. That is an incredible turnaround.
The 76ers are serious title contenders now. They have arguably the best starting five in the NBA and have added depth this offseason. Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Labaron Philon should help them find a playoff rotation that will give any team in the East problems. Philly has to stay healthy, which is always a massive if.
Morey never believed in building a team. He was always focused on analytics and not about chemistry. His strategy got his teams to the playoffs, but has never led to a championship.
The new front office has focused on maximizing their roster. Brown is a massive upgrade over Paul George. That bold trade paved the way for LeBron to choose Philadelphia. The GOAT decided against retirement to join the Sixers. None of that happens if Morey is still in charge.
The Philadelphia 76ers look genius for firing Daryl Morey and hiring Mike Gansey as their new general manager. They quickly went from a team on a two-timeline approach to one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. It took two bold moves and a belief that they could land LeBron James. It unbelievably happened, and the best is yet to come. That certainly wouldn’t be the case if Morey was still calling the shots.
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