It took more than four months, but the Sixers got the assets they were seeking when James Harden first asked for a trade in late June, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Morey said the focus was on acquiring expiring contracts and draft capital in any Harden deal. The trade with the Clippers brought back Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington and Kenyon Martin Jr., all of whom will be free agents next summer, along with a collection of draft assets that stretch through 2029.
“We set a bar in June, really, when James requested the trade and said, ‘Look, if we can get it to here, that should be what generally allows you to get out and get a player,” Morey said. “Having a player like Jrue (Holiday) go (to the Boston Celtics) for a similar package was sort of validating on that. So we set the bar, and obviously it came together where the Clippers met that price.”
What the Sixers didn’t get is Terance Mann, who was reportedly the sticking point for L.A. throughout the negotiations. According to Pompey, the Clippers initially offered one unprotected first-round pick and a pick swap along with the expiring contracts. With Morey unable to pry Mann loose, he settled for more draft capital instead.
Appearing Wednesday on the Ball Don’t Lie podcast, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports suggested that Morey was reluctant to accept the final version of the trade, but was forced to by ownership, which told him to “get a deal done now.”
Speaking with Pompey, Morey downplayed the report, saying team owners have a role in virtually every NBA trade.
“Ownership, I can only speak to my side. I don’t know how much their side was involved,” Morey said. “Our side was straightforward, the same: Always keep them abreast of our plans, making recommendations for when we make trades, and they signed off on them. It was a very standard trade, so I didn’t quite follow that reporting.”
Morey also expressed hope that his long relationship with Harden, which fell apart in spectacular fashion this summer, can eventually be repaired.
“Look, I think time heals,” Morey said. “He wanted to be traded and we did follow through on what he wanted. … Honestly, I think he chose to handle things certain ways that I wouldn’t have. He might feel the same about us, that we should have moved quicker or whatever. Look, he’s a great player and he’s going to do great things for the Clippers. P.J. (Tucker) as well. I’m glad they’re in the West.”
Funny man chasing his tail…
It’s a good trade for sixers if they can turn, this is trade 1 that leads to a star player being part of trade 2. Harden and as never the answer in Philly.
Those players are a bunch of junk lmao. Picks are alright tho
Junk on expiring contracts. That’s the important part.
And they got out of Tucker’s $11M for ‘24-25…now if they can do anything with the picks and cap space is another question
It’s not about how good the players they received are. It’s about the expiring contracts they have.
I mean what else is he gonna come out and say? That they were hoping for more? That they wish they could’ve got Mann? Lol.
Lol yeah Mann and his 9 per game.
Well, Daryl… you keep telling yourself that!!!
We all know you got ripped off with the return.
Surely, to get that miserly return he could have done the deal months ago, holding out for that return is simply embarrassing, dude!
It won’t be long before Harden is trying to leave the Clippers and they have a bunch of over the hill players and no draft picks. At least the Sixers have draft capital and cap space to add good players.
What is Morey going to say? The truth? Call the cops. We’ve been robbed? He has to say he likes the trade. Doesn’t make sense asking most of these guys their opinion bc you’re going to get drivel.
Lol you know ownership told him to get a deal done because of his word salad response, not a bad trade now please give all those draft assets to the Bulls for Lavine and Caruso
I understand why Daryl Moryl is happy because his getting back guys who played Houston rockets
Marcus Morris played for houston
Robert Covington played for houston
Kenyon Martin Jr. played for Houston
He even traded for James harden and signed house, pat bev, montrez and PJ tucker
Give him 2-3 role players who played for houston and he will happily accept the trade
In today’s NBA, Daryl Morley is a top 3-4 GM every season. Sure, he didn’t get everything he wanted – no one does. But he has some expiring contracts and draft assets to work with. It’s better than what the Clippers were prepared to pony up earlier, and he really had no option but to deal with the Clippers. I don’t think the 76ers are going to win a championship, but he’s making the best of a bad situation that began years ago. Are they better off now than they were with Ben Simmons? Yep.
I agree with most of this. I’m not a Morey fan or hater. I’m not sure I can agree he is top 3-4, I do think he is above average and our best GM (president of operations? ) since the NBA forced Hinkie out.
I’m not understanding how everyone was saying Harden wasn’t any good anymore but says the Sixers got robbed in this trade…
Morey wants everyone to forget what he sent to Brooklyn for Harden.
If you forget about the Brooklyn trade, Morey got a descent return from the Clippers.
But, if you look at what he sent to Brooklyn he basically got 2 SRPs and a bunch of expiring contracts, Kenyon Martin Jr., a swap for Ben Simmons and Curry.
The Clipper deal is not that great when you consider that Morey restocked the picks he gave up for Harden.
So is 2 2RPs, a swap, Kenyon Martin Jr., Paul Millsap, and the expiring contracts a good deal for Ben Simmons and Curry?
And he added more bad PR to a team that is considered poorly run for a decade, which will definitely affect how Free Agents look at Philly. Two consecutive years a player has asked out of Philly and wanted never to return. That does not look good.
I still think Harden won, Morey got a very minimal return for all of his wheeling and dealing and Embiid is on his way out. Sorry Sixer fan…and yes, i cannot stand the Sixers organization, they do the same dumb thing every other year.
I think if you compare that to the value they would have had from keeping Ben Simmons then, yes, that’s a pretty good return. Also, they had a year of trying to compete for a championship with James Harden playing rather than Ben Simmons sitting out.
Exactly what value does Simmons have? Nada !
Considering Simmons didn’t even play that year or the next, and he looks nowhere like an All Star so far this year, yeah they robbed the Nets.
Plus, the Clippers pick and pick swap are gold. Their top players will be in wheelchairs by then and they have no one coming behind them.
The same with the Bucks picks Portland got.
Leaving Maxey off the table… I mean technically, the Sixers have 105.1M in expiring contracts they could use in a trade by the deadline. Same amount comes off the books at the end of the season, but from a salary matching standpoint… does any other team have that much expiring? That is enough to trade for 2 max level guys if they saw an opportunity.
Now sure, they’d have no one else on the roster but I’m just making a point. It’s not a terrible position.
Embiid, Maxey, Bball, and Springer the only guys under contract. Don’t think Bball and Springer can’t be involved in a S&T next year either.
I think b ball Paul is only guaranteed if we win a first round series…same for the next year.
And Maxey isn’t guaranteed…but I’m sure he will be.
OG Anunoby or Buddy Hield would really help. Both would be awesome.
They could just sign those guys in FA, instead of forfeiting assets. If they can make a deal for some one using SRPs, not FRPs, and improve the roster that would be ideal. Then just use cap space to bring in your spot up shooter Hield, and your premium defender OG.
Right, unless you thought you needed them to compete for a championship this season and could acquire them for a price that reflected their short term contracts.
Morey should be ecstatic that the Sixers at the very least broke even: roster flexibility, getting Harden’s personality and Tucker’s contract out of town, some extra picks, and the possibility that Batum & Martin can contribute in the short term.
To your point, I do think the critics of this trade are underestimating how awful the $11.5 million player option for Tucker could have been.
You are absolutely correct. Excellent trade by the 76ers.
Hopefully, the Sixers avoid guys like Harden, Simmons and Fultz in the future and hang on to players like Mikal Bridges and Jrue Holiday.