Happy 49th Birthday, Daryl Morey!

As loopy as it could sound, Daryl Morey has but to hit the one-year mark of service with the Philadelphia 76ers.

What? That may’t be true, proper? Morey has reshaped the Sixers’ rotation significantly since arriving within the Metropolis of Brotherly Love and has overseen two separate NBA Drafts and free company intervals. How have we not but hit his one-year anniversary with the staff?

Effectively, it’s true; Morey wasn’t technically introduced on board till November 2nd, 2020, 16 days earlier than the 2020 NBA Draft, and one month after Doc Rivers signed with the Sixers on October third.

Why, it’s possible you’ll ask, am I pointing this out? Effectively, as a result of at present, September 14th, is Morey’s forty ninth birthday.

So, to have fun this momentous event, why not look again at his first season with the staff and see how the Philadelphia 76ers received to the place they’re at present?

Daryl Morey has made fairly an influence on the Philadelphia 76ers.

It took Daryl Morey 16 days to make a transfer because the Philadelphia 76ers’ common supervisor, however when that levee broke, change flooded the Metropolis of Brotherly Love.

It began on November 18th, the day of the draft. First, Morey traded Al Horford, Théo Maledon (as a draft choose), Vasilije Micić, and a 2025 1st spherical draft choose to the OKC Thunder for Danny Green, Terrance Ferguson, and Vincent Poirier. Whereas that deal didn’t technically get accomplished till December eighth for technical causes, and solely a kind of three gamers stay with the staff 10 months later, the transfer was paramount in establishing the brand new route Morey wished to take his staff.

With that albatross out of the best way, Morey doubled down on his efforts to encompass Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons with shooters and surrendered Josh Richardson and one other second-round choose – finally used on Tyler Bey – to the Dallas Mavericks for Seth Curry, in a deal that may go down in franchise historical past as considered one of their most lopsided commerce wins.

So, with two of the largest miscues of the Elton Brand-era formally off the books, Morey turned his consideration to the draft, the place he landed not one, not two, however three very spectacular younger gamers who ought to stay with the staff for years to come back in Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed.

Think about buying Tony Bradley from the Detroit Pistons for Zhaire Smith and, with lower than a month on the job, I’d name that an A+ introduction.

From there, nonetheless, Morey’s tenure turned quite contentious. Regardless of having expressed some not-so-secret curiosity in reacquiring his former celebrity participant, James Harden, from his spurned former employer, the Houston Rockets wouldn’t play ball, and the Sixers needed to watch helplessly as their division rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, accomplished their Massive 3 with one more former league MVP.

From there, the Sixers plotted alongside as the most effective groups within the East, as Morey and firm ready for his or her subsequent alternative to additional fortify Doc Rivers’ rotation with midseason reinforcements.

That got here within the type of George Hill, who was acquired alongside Ignas Brazdeikis for Tony Bradley, Terrence Furgeson, and Vincent Poirier and 4 second-round picks and… nicely, nobody else save Anthony Tolliver on a two-year vet minimal deal and Gary Clark on a two-way contract.

Morey as soon as once more received in on talks across the crown jewel of the commerce market, Kyle Lowry, however the two sides have been in the end unable to agree on a deal that labored for everybody – together with Lowry, who reportedly requested to remain in Toronto – and identical to that, the Sixers needed to enter the playoffs with a roster that would actually do injury however lacked that over-the-top pop wanted to actually set themselves other than the Japanese Convention pack.

Think about a Joel Embiid meniscus tear, some poor scheming from Doc Rivers, and a passed-up dunk from Ben Simmons, and the Sixers discovered themselves bounced from the playoffs within the second spherical for the third time in 4 years.

A bummer? Undoubtedly, however Morey wasn’t dissuaded. After procuring three younger, ascending gamers within the 2021 NBA Draft, he issued a vote of confidence within the staff’s present core – even when it should all however absolutely be upended by a borderline inevitable Ben Simmons commerce – and made strikes in free company to shore it up, extending Joel Embiid, Danny Inexperienced and Furkan Korkmaz whereas signing Andre Drummond and Georges Niang to free company offers.

Did Morey as soon as once more miss out on the “greater” offers, like sign-and-trading for Kyle Lowry and Lonzo Ball, or utilizing the commerce exception generated from buying and selling Al Horford? Sure, sure, he did, however clearly, the Sixers are a staff trying to keep most flexibility as they strategy a franchise-altering commerce surrounding their second-best gamers.

I feel we may give Morey a go for that one… a minimum of for at present; it’s his birthday, in spite of everything.

So, Daryl Morey, I hope 49 treats you nicely. Thanks for pulling off such a large steal in buying and selling for Seth Curry, believing sufficient in Tyrese Maxey to draft him twenty first total regardless of an absence of collegiate outdoors manufacturing, and for extending Joel Embiid to the full-on Supermax. Might your night be good, and your returns within the Ben Simmons commerce set the Philadelphia 76ers up for achievement for years to come back.