When James Harden requested his transfer during the 2023 offseason, it was the Sixers and Daryl Morey project that was seriously underway. The All-Star on the start, Tyrese Maxey still in development, Philadelphia would lose in quality and therefore in ambitions.
But from that moment, the president, and it is his job, has already started to imagine what happens next. James Harden was sent to the Clippers, the manager tried to bring Paul George in the trade, but it didn't work. This was not the end of the story, however, because a second episode would take place in 2024.
Objective “Paul George 2024”
The winger was going to be at the end of his contract and we have since known that the Californian franchise did not intend to offer the maximum to its player. From then on, the latter had planned to seek information from the competition. Daryl Morey was counting on that to seduce him…
“We went in the direction of what we thought was the best plan to remain title candidates, but clearly it was a risky bet,” concedes the former Houston manager. “Risky bets don't always work out, but others were thought to be worse. »
If this plan was very risky, it was not only because it depended on whether or not Paul George would come. The All-Star also indirectly slowed the contract extension of Tyrese Maxey and the recruitment of the Sixers.
As a reminder, the playmaker could have extended during the summer of 2023. The franchise asked him to wait, to prepare for the arrival of “PG”, with the dose of risk that this entails: major injury, missed season… I want to deeply thank Tyrese for his patience. This offseason would not have been possible without him […] He was patient, which allowed us to succeed this offseason and be one of the candidates for the title. Thanks to him for that,” had greeted Daryl Morey after the player's $204 million extension last July.
“A risky bet is not necessarily a bad bet. It can also be the best and it obviously was”
Tyrese Maxey totally succeeded with his best career season, a new All-Star status and finally the trophy for best progression. In the process, with him, Paul George and Joel Embiid, the Sixers had a high-level trio that they were able to surround with very interesting recruits: Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele. Plus Kyle Lowry and Kelly Oubre Jr. who returned.
What the manager had imagined went perfectly. “It was clearly risky yes, but it was the best plan”insists Daryl Morey. “A risky bet is not necessarily a bad bet. It can also be the best and obviously it was. »
The goal was to be a credible candidate for the title in 2025 and, a few days before the start of hostilities, the Sixers are. “We are one of the few teams who are at the top. I think Boston deserves to be the favorite, but we have a chance this year to be with them and be able to beat them.”concludes the leader.
