76ers finally learn painful Daryl Morey lesson Rockets fans already knew

The Philadelphia 76ers announced on May 12 that they are officially parting ways with their president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey. The move comes after six seasons of regular-season success, playoff disappointment, and one failed big swing after another.

Morey spent 13 seasons as the Houston Rockets general manager, so Rockets fans are extremely familiar with Morey’s aggressive team-building style. They are also familiar with how frustrating that team-building can be when your team continually falls short.

Morey ran Philadelphia the same way he ran Houston

Daryl Morey is famous for his star-hunting, analytical style of team-building. When in Houston, Morey went after established big names like Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook to surround his offensive engine, James Harden. In Philadelphia, Morey went after James Harden and Paul George to surround Joel Embiid.

These were all defensible big swings that theoretically could have boosted their teams over the top. But they never did. Morey then had to deal with the fallout from those major transactions.

Dwight Howard disappointed in his time with Houston, but his departure was fairly painless. The Chris Paul trade almost pushed Houston into the Finals, but eventually Morey swapped Paul and multiple first-round picks to the Thunder for Russell Westbrook. That trade still haunts Houston, as its first-round pick this year is owed to Oklahoma City from that deal. Westbrook played one season in Houston.

Morey’s big swings in Philadelphia had similar results. He traded for James Harden, but their relationship quickly soured. He then gave an aging Paul George a four-year, $212 million contract. That is currently considered one of the worst contracts in the league.

Morey’s teams were always competitive, but never champions

Morey’s aggressive nature meant his teams were always active in the trade market and free agency. He was often criticized for not giving his teams enough time to grow together. The Rockets and 76ers hardly ever missed the playoffs when Morey was making decisions, but they also never made the Finals.

If Daryl Morey wants another job in the NBA, then he will surely get one. He has proven that he is one of the best general managers in the league at building a competitive NBA team. However, teams should be aware of his flaws. Houston fans already lived through the thrill and frustration of the Morey experience. Philadelphia just did the same.

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