Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey addressed the media Monday afternoon from the team’s practice facility. Opening up by acknowledging that he and the Sixers’ organization would have preferred to be preparing to face the Indiana Pacers, Morey quickly pivoted to the upcoming offseason and the team’s excitement around the potential it possesses.
Since the James Harden trade back in October, the big-picture narrative around the team has been that the 2024 offseason would bring immense opportunity as cap space and draft picks would be in abundance. With a rough projection of $60 million in available space this summer, the team is able to sign a player to a max contract and still have more than $10 million in remaining space before re-signing Tyrese Maxey or any mid-level exception.
It’s that simple, as a hefty salary in the NBA has more implications than ever, thanks to the new CBA in place. Regardless, there is an opportunity to add a high-caliber player(s); it’s simply up to Daryl Morey and the front office to decide where their interest lies and then close the deal.
Morey’s end-of-season press conference
Among the first questions Morey received was centered around Tyrese Maxey and whether his window impacted the team’s potential decision to target a veteran this offseason who was a bit longer in the tooth.
“Obviously, you have to factor in age, but we mostly are looking for we feel like we’re in the window to win now. We’re mostly focused on getting the best players that fit with Joel and Tyrese.”
One of the key phrases Joel Embiid mentioned in his press conference after Game 6 was the word continuity. Morey also referenced the importance of continuity but was realistic when it came to the odds of continuity this offseason:
“We’re not going to have continuity [from last season]. Hopefully, we will have continuity going forward a little better. We’ll have continuity with our stars and our head coach, but we’re gonna have a lot of change this offseason.”
As far as the type of player the Sixers hope to acquire, Morey was direct, saying:
“I would say the biggest need is not at their position. Someone at the wing who can play and deliver at a high level in the playoffs.”
Morey was also asked about the level of input the team desires from Joel Embiid on their last season move and answered while including Tyrese Maxey and head coach Nick Nurse as people to be involved in the conversation:
“Yeah all else being equal, you definitely want Tyrese and Joel to feel good and to feel comfortable about the player you’re adding. They’re so good, they can make any player work well or not work well. So I’ve always had a history of working with our top players, and obviously the coaching staff to make sure that everyone feels good about those acquisitions.”
For as much as the offseason will be about the team’s potential new additions, Daryl Morey made one thing crystal clear. The Philadelphia 76ers core, which now consists of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Nick Nurse, is securely in place and ready to enjoy a new era of continuity, something the Sixers have long been without.
