A few days after the elimination of the Sixers in the first round of the Playoffs, Daryl Morey, president of basketball operations for the franchise, spoke to the press. Aware of the limits of his squad, he does not hide his ambitions and the possibility of being very active this summer. Summary and decryption.
“There will be no continuity. We will have continuity with our stars and our coach, but there will be a lot of changes this season (…) I owe it to the fans, to the owners, to everyone, to ensure that this team is able to fight for titles.”
Daryl Morey recognizes it, it is difficult to place the 76ers among the very best candidates for the title if we take a look at the numbers of the biggest franchises in the league. In the face of great evils and great remedies, the leader excludes almost no option. Only the young people, the pair Joel Embiid – Tyrese Maxey and Nick Nurse are sure to stay.
Crucial element of Philadelphia’s offseason: Tobias Harris’ expiring contract. Its 39 million annually will disappear from the accounting tables, and free up a lot of space to potentially attract a big fish. And Morey is already imagining himself fishing.
“We think in a window where we have to win now. We are mainly focused on getting the best players for Joel and Tyrese (…) A winger, who can play at a high level and be important in the Playoffs.”
We told you about it a few days ago, an All-Star winger seems to be the priority in Pennsylvania. Three names are captivating the front office’s attention at the moment: Paul George, Brandon Ingram and Jimmy Butler. With great financial flexibility ($60 million), Daryl Morey can manage to attract a free agent at the maximum price. PG13 can be this summer, while Ingram and Butler reach the end of the deal in a year. No file has been settled at the moment, but after seven years without making it through the second round of the Playoffs, fans are waiting impatiently.
“Wing who can play at a high level in the playoffs.”
– Daryl Morey on the Sixers’ biggest need
(Via @RBPhillyTake) pic.twitter.com/QmAfcupvvP
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 6, 2024
Morey conceded that the path taken by his team is not the right one, returning at the same time to the Buddy Hield trade. “The fit was worse than I thought” he explained. If we look at the franchise’s payroll, we realize that a large part of the players could be released this summer: Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, De’Anthony Melton, Cameron Payne , Kelly Oubre Jr., Mo Bamba… and many others. With free departures which free up a lot of space in terms of salaries, or through sign-and-trade, Daryl Morey has a little room to maneuver to carry out his project.
Another important issue of the summer, the extension of Tyrese Maxey. Eligible for a contract worth more than 200 million over 5 years, the leader showered his young All-Star with praise, recalling his fantastic level throughout the season.
“We are not really focusing on the draft to help us (…) We are mainly going to be a team of veterans”.
Holders of pick 16 in the 2024 NBA Draft, the 76ers are still exploring all options. Morey explained that the franchise could select a young player, or exchange the pick in a trade for a bigger player, or even go down a little in the draft by recovering some assets. In other words, anything is possible, and it would be better to expect anything.
To summarize, the change is now. Daryl Morey knows he won’t have fifty chances to take advantage of Joel Embiid’s prime, and the clock is ticking in the city of brotherly love.
Source texte : Philadelphie Sixers Youtube
2024-05-07 10:22:00
#continuity
