The Philadelphia 76ers have parted ways with President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
While the front office is seeing a drastic change with Morey out, Charania added that head coach Nick Nurse would remain in his position for his upcoming fourth season with the team.
Former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers, who played a notable role overseeing the Golden State Warriors dynasty, will lead the team’s basketball operations in the interim and will hire a new lead executive.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Daryl personally and professionally, and I’m grateful for his contributions over the last six seasons,” Philadelphia 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris said in a team statement announcing the changes. “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.”
Myers added, “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 teams. 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.”
Harris and Myers will meet with reporters on Thursday afternoon to further discuss the changes.
Morey had overseen the Sixers for six seasons, joining the franchise after a disappointing 2019-20 season. After spending more than 13 years with the Houston Rockets organization, Morey stepped down from his post running the Rockets and soon found himself tasked with an organization looking to build around two young, polarizing stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Morey’s entire tenure with the team saw several dramatic moments, even from the inception, as three-time All-Star Ben Simmons’ relationship with the franchise soon became untenable between his struggles in the 2021 postseason, the comments of then-head coach Doc Rivers and the presence of he and fellow cornerstone Joel Embiid lacking chemistry both on and off the court.
After attempts to rehabilitate the relationship, Simmons was eventually traded to Brooklyn for James Harden, Morey’s most notable career acquisition stemming from his days in Houston. The reunion with Harden would prove more difficult to manage the second time around, and despite the team being a fixture in the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs, Harden eventually forced his way out of Philadelphia as well.
In Morey's time with the Sixers, the team went 270-212 (.570), making the playoffs in five of six seasons but never advancing past the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
While his time was fraught with drama, there were significant successes as well, including the drafting and development of Tyrese Maxey, an MVP season from Joel Embiid, and, most recently, the drafting of new franchise cornerstone VJ Edgecombe, who, along with Maxey, will see the Sixers into this next era of basketball.
That era will at least begin with Nick Nurse still at the helm.
Despite questions of Nurse’s job security dating back to last season and very much staying active throughout this year, Nurse has consistently had the support of at least one crucial member of the organization, Tyrese Maxey.
While there have been multiple instances of players struggling with various issues, from the team's direction to their roles within the rotation and their involvement in team activities, Nurse has supported the vision Tyrese Maxey hoped to cultivate in Philadelphia.
While there remains significant uncertainty regarding the roster, the Sixers and Maxey are seeing the vision he spoke of prior to the 2025-26 season take shape, with Edgecombe playing a significant role in that regard. The team will continue around their young budding guards and this new vision of Sixers basketball as they look to enter a new era, one that sees the team reach the heights it strives for.
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