Daryl Morey Signals That Sixers Are Ready To Go Star Hunting Again
It is not often we see executives be honest or forthright when they speak to the media. That was not the case with Daryl Morey today though. While he stopped short of saying specific players the 76ers want, he was forthright with their goals. It seems like the 76ers will be star hunting once again.
Daryl Morey Got Specific About Their Needs
Obviously Daryl Morey can’t get specific about which players he wants. But he did specify the type of player he wants.
“I would say the biggest need is someone on the wing, who can play and deliver at a high level in the playoffs.”
-Daryl Morey
That is about as forthright as GMs or team Presidents will get. We now know exactly what the 76ers will be looking for. A high-level wing player.
It is something any fan will tell you they have been wanting for years now. Kelly Oubre Jr is probbaly the best wing player we have seen come through here the past few years. While Oubre is a decent player, he is far from the high level player Morey is talking about here.
“High-Level Player” Is The New Star-Hunting
Morey did not use the word star, but “high-level” basically means the same thing.
While that may inspire some Deja-Vu, it is not the same as it has been in the past. Al those past times they went star-hunting, they were looking for the guy to be the second best player next to Embiid. But if we learned anything from this loss to the Knicks, it is they already have that.
Tyrese Maxey is a star. They have the 1st and 2nd best players taken care of. But the issue in the Knicks series was everyone else. They had no consistent option besides those two guys.
You hoped Tobias Harris would fill that role. But he went out and scored 0 points in an elimination game. What they need is Tobias Harris, but actually good.
If Tobias gave the Sixers his regular season numbers, they are still playing right now. They might not be legit contenders, but they would have beaten the Knicks.
They just lacked a true 3rd option. They hoped Buddy Hield would be that guy. But as Morey very bluntly pointed out, that didnt go as well as they hoped it would.
Sixers Have The Cap Space To Make Big Changes
As of now the Sixers have two players under contract, Joel Embiid and Ricky Council Jr. They also have Paul Reed, but his contract is not guaranteed and most expect the Sixers to cut him. You can also add Tyrese Maxey who they are going to give a max contract to at some point.
After that, it is wide open, and they have the space to make a lot of changes. Daryl Morey straight up told us there would be big changes.
“We are not going to have continuity. Hopefully we will have continuity going forward. We will have continuity with our stars and with our coach. But we are going to have a lot of changes this offseason.”
– Daryl Morey
Can you blame him? The pieces around Embiid and Maxey didn’t step up in the playoffs. Those two played at a high level, and the Sixers still lost.
The team they had, clearly wasn’t good enough. They have the option to change it, why wouldn’t they? Embiid said he wants continuity, but the pieces around him just were not good enough. Would you rather run back this same team, that you know isn’t good enough? Or do you want to try and use this unique situation to build a winning team?
The changes are going to start with them bringing in another “high-level” player. Who will that be? Will it work out for them? we don’t know. But Morey made it pretty clear that is what the plan is. We are going star hunting again.
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76ers Stay or Go: Offseason Preview After Another Ugly Exit
Joel Embiid
This one is easy. You do not get better by moving Joel Embiid. Thankfully after he played great in game 6, I don’t see many people calling for this. If he had played poorly, we might see people calling for the Sixers to move on from Embiid. But the general vibe around the city seems optimistic after his 39-point game.
Despite them coming up short every year with Embiid, he remains their best chance at winning a ring. Embiid is among the best players in the league. The goal needs to be building an amazing team around him, to best make use of his unique skillset.
Verdict: Stay
Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey proved he is the perfect star to play next to Embiid. For the first time, we saw him pick up a struggling Embiid in game 5. No other player had ever done that for him before now. He was fantastic in the Knicks series. Even in game 6, when he struggled, he came alive in the 4th quarter as Embiid slowed down due to fatigue.
Give Maxey the Max Contract, and don’t think twice about it. The dude is a Super Star.
Verdict- Stay
Tobias Harris
0 points. In an elimination game, Harris scored 0 points and took only 2 shots. I have been a Harris defender for most of this contract. Obviously, he was not living up to being a max player. But for the most part, he still was a decent player. He was terrible in this series though. For me, he is the primary reason they lost.
It is time to move on. It is not Harris’ fault he was overpaid. But it is his fault that he made no impact on the offensive end of the floor. Now that his Max Slot is open, maybe they can finally add an actual 3rd scorer you can count on.
Verdict- GO
Kelly Oubre Jr
Oubre was a great surprise for them this year. When he signed the vet minimum, I was excited to get an athletic wing, but I didn’t think he would actually be an impact player. I thought he would occasionally give them something off the bench, and be streaky.
Turns out he was their 3rd best scorer. If they can get him on a somewhat team-friendly deal, I would gladly have him back. He won’t be a minimum guy again, but he could still be somewhat affordable.
Verdict: Stay
Kyle Lowry
Lowry was a massive disappointment for me in the playoffs. he had that big game 1, but was a net negative in every other game. First, it was the mental mistakes in game 2, like his bad inbounds pass, and not calling a timeout. And then it was giving them nothing in games 3 through 6. That nothing is literal in game 6. Like Harris, he scored 0 points and took only 2 shots.
The guy doesn’t have the legs anymore for extended minutes. Maybe as a bench guy where if he gets 12 minutes a game, he can be decent. But even for that role, there will be better options.
Verdict: Go
Nico Batum
Batum on offense was streaky. They dont win the Play-In game without him, and he was great in game 6. The other 5 games though… he gave them no scoring.
He does give them other things. He still plays good D, is a good passer, and gets tough rebounds. But I think we have had enough of guys on the court who just cannot score on some nights. We saw it with Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, PJ Tucker, Kyle Lowry, and Batum.
I still think you bring him back, just so there is some continuity. Embiid begged for there to be continuity in his post-game press conference after game 6.
Verdict: Stay
Cam Payne
I will gladly take Payne back at the right price. Having that type of shooter providing energy off the bench, can be huge in the right moments. This series might have ended before 6 games if not for Payne. Is he streaky? Yes. But they aren’t counting on him to be a great contributor, they are counting on him to have nights here and there. I’ll take that as long as he is affordable.
Verdict: Stay
Buddy Hield
This one is tough. Before game 6, I was done with him. But then he showed life. He was tremendous in that final game. it was the Hield they thought they were getting. That is the type of guy you want around Joel Embiid. But we just didn’t see it consistently enough.
Hield has been one of the most consistent shooters in the league since he entered it. If they can fit him in, I will have him back. We will see if they can make the money work though. A splashy move like Paul George might preclude them from bringing Buddy back. For that reason, I don’t think he returns.
Verdict: Go
Paul Reed
Reed was unplayable in this series. It is not all his fault, but the entire team fell apart whenever Embiid came off the floor. You aren’t going to get someone who can do half of what Embiid does to be your backup. But you need someone who can keep things stable, and that is not Reed. They can get out of the contract at no cost, and they would be foolish not to take that chance.
Verdict: Go
Mo Bamba
We saw how bad Reed was. Yet, Bamba still couldn’t get a single minute. That tells you everything you need to know about Bamba. Can he be your 3rd center. Sure. But you can get more from someone else. So for me, there is no reason to bring Bamba back.
Verdict: Go
De'Anthony Melton
Melton’s big injury makes this one hard to judge. We don’t know if he will even be healthy next season. But that could make him available for cheap. If they can get him on a minimum, or close to it, prove it deal, why not? When healthy he has a lot to give to the team. They certainly could have used his perimeter defense in the Knicks series.
Verdict: Stay
Ricky Council IV
Will Council be a real player going forward? I don’t know. But he has some traits you like and is cheap. At the worst, he is an end-of-the-bench energy guy. There is no reason not to bring him back though.
Verdict: Stay
Jeff Dowtin Jr
Like Council, there isnt really a reason not to bring Dowtin back. You have the team option, and he is cheap. Will he be a real player for you? No, but you need those types of guys at the end of your bench. He actually gave them decent minutes at some points in the regular season.
Verdict: Stay
Robert Covington
If he is a Vet Minimum guy, sure. But otherwise, I am out on RoCo. There is nothing he gives you that you can’t get elsewhere, cheaper. He is not even that good of a defender, he just has long arms and occasionally tips the ball away. Thank you for your work in The Process years, but I am moving on.
Verdict: Go
KJ Martin
Martin is another end-of-the-bench guy. If he is affordable, sure. But more likely they just bring in someone else. I don’t mind Martin, but you can do better.
Verdict: Go
