Sixers' First Offseason Move Comes in the Front Office

The Sixers parted ways with team president Daryl Morey on Tuesday evening after he met with ownership.

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment has tasked its president, Bob Myers, to anchor the search for the Sixers' new lead executive. He will oversee the team's basketball operations in the interim.

Nick Nurse will continue to serve as the Sixers' head coach. He's entering his fourth season with the team.

“To our fans, your frustration and disappointment are understandable and warranted,” majority governor Josh Harris said in a statement on Tuesday evening. “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.”

Was Morey’s firing warranted?

Was firing Morey the correct move? Probably. But Philadelphia won't see real change until ownership either has a change of heart or sells the team.

The Sixers have finished below the luxury-tax threshold for four consecutive seasons. If HBSE continues to prioritize saving money, a new lead executive won't change much.

This is not to say Morey was blameless, however. He has notoriously mismanaged young talent throughout the years, and his relationship with key members of the team seemingly decayed this season.

Look no further than the Sixers sending Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for draft capital ahead of this year's trade deadline. While it was HSBE’s goal to save money, Morey’s power was to figure out how to do so.

McCain, who's shooting 54.2% from deep in the playoffs, currently has the highest three-point percentage in playoff history. The Thunder still have yet to lose a game in the playoffs, and McCain was a key factor in their sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Sixers also cut Isaiah Joe ahead of the 2022-23 season, and he's since become another coveted shooter in Oklahoma City’s rotation. 

Philadelphia waiving Julian Champagnie in mid-February 2023 to allow then-Blue Coat Mac McClung to participate in the dunk contest was also unforgettable. Champagne tallied 11.1 points per game on 38.1% shooting from beyond the arc for the San Antonio Spurs this season.

Trading for James Harden, signing Paul George, and extending Joel Embiid all had some level of justification at the time, but moves like those listed above were Morey's biggest flaw.

It's time for a new voice but it's on ownership to let that voice take charge.

Nurse is sticking around

While Morey is gone, Nurse is sticking around... for now, at least.

On one hand, Nurse has proven to be a postseason riser and can excel with the right group. Nurse’s adjustment to stop over-helping on the Boston Celtics’ perimeter shooters limited their damage from deep—a critical aspect of the Sixers’ 3-1 comeback in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

He also got the best out of the locker room from a resiliency lens amidst all the adversity Philadelphia dealt with, despite reported tension between players and coaching staff.

On the other hand, his adjustments tended to come too late, as shown by season-long blunders in the third quarter. The Sixers averaged the second-fewest points in the third quarter of any team during the regular season, per TeamRankings, which frequently cost them games. Philadelphia’s defense sometimes gambled to its detriment, and its offense became isolation-heavy when things got difficult.

Again, Nurse has proven to be a quality coach when equipped with a solid rotation (look at the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors). The Sixers must build him a proper rotation that he can depend on in games when Embiid rests or playoff series where his top-end talent is burnt out like the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks.

It's not clear how much longer Nurse will stick around, though. Most new lead executives prefer to make their own hire at head coach.

If the Sixers underperform next season, Nurse will likely be on the hot seat.

The Myers part of it

It will be interesting to see where the Sixers go from here with Myers spearheading the search for a new executive. Many fans wanted Myers to replace Morey when he joined HBSE, and he will for now.

Philadelphia has not yet announced how long it expects its search for a new lead executive to be. Harris and Myers will hold a press conference on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET

“I know how much the 76ers mean to the City of Philadelphia and it’s important we find the right leader to shape the future of this team,” Myers said. “The process will start immediately and we will be thorough and deliberate in our evaluations. I believe this is a destination for top talent across the league and look forward to solidifying our infrastructure moving forward.”

The Sixers hold the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 draft. This offseason will be all about rebuilding the rotation.

It is essential that whoever gets the job comes in with a vision of who they want to pair around Philadelphia's core four of Embiid, George, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.

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