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The Economic Times
The Economic Times

Why is Daryl Morey leaving Philadelphia 76ers? Has president of 76ers basketball operations been sacked? Check real reason

Philadelphia 76ers are parting ways with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, they announced on Tuesday. Former ​Golden State Warriors general manager Bob ​Myers, now the president of sports for the Sixers' parent company, Harris ​Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, will lead the search for a new leader of basketball operations for team owner Josh Harris. Myers will also lead the department in the interim.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Daryl ‌personally and professionally, and ⁠I'm grateful ⁠for his contributions over the last six seasons," Harris said in a statement. "After speaking with Daryl, we determined that ​it was time for a fresh start. Bob Myers will lead the process of identifying a new leader ​and I believe his experience in constructing four NBA championship teams will be a valuable resource to our organization.

"To our fans, your frustration and disappointment are understandable and warranted. We have ​fallen well short of our own expectations and failed to deliver ⁠in the ‌way this city deserves. That bothers me deeply and I have confidence ​in Bob to ​establish a path forward for our franchise."

Morey, 53, joined the 76ers ⁠in 2020 following 13 years as the general manager of the ​Houston Rockets.

His boldest move while leading the Sixers was to ​acquire James Harden in a deal that sent Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022, at a time when Simmons was holding out and Harden was unhappy in Brooklyn.

Simmons' career fizzled out after brief stays with the Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers, but Harden only spent 1 1/2 seasons in Philadelphia before requesting a trade and being dealt to the ‌Clippers. During an appearance in China before the trade, Harden declared that "Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization ​that he's a ​part of."

Harden had spent ⁠eight-plus seasons in Houston overlapping with Morey's Rockets tenure.

As for the Sixers now, they have failed to advance past the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2001. After missing the playoffs in 2024-25 amid ​injuries to Joel Embiid and other key players, they rebounded to go 45-37 this past season, earning the seventh seed in the East. They upset the Boston Celtics in a seven-game first-round series before the New York Knicks swept them out of the semis.

ESPN reported that Nick Nurse will be retained for a fourth season as Philadelphia's head coach. His teams have gone 116-130 in his first three seasons on the job.

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