Good luck to the Philadelphia 76ers‘ next president. The franchise has high expectations, perhaps too high.
The 76ers fired general manager Daryl Morey on Tuesday but retained head coach Nick Nurse. Former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers — the architect of the Warriors’ 2010s dynasty — will lead the search for a president. The reason for the move was simple: The team didn’t win enough postseason games during Morey’s six-year tenure.
76ers owner Josh Harris explains firing of Daryl Morey
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Daryl personally and professionally, and I’m grateful for his contributions over the last six seasons,” Harris said, per the team website. “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 as this city deserves. That bothers me deeply, and I have confidence in Bob to establish a path forward for our franchise.”
The 76ers still haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since the 2000-01 season, when former guard Allen Iverson won league MVP. This postseason, they upset the Boston Celtics in Round 1, but the New York Knicks swept them in Round 2. Is the team built to go further than that?
Why the 76ers’ next president isn’t set up for immediate success
The 76ers find themselves in a horrible salary-cap situation thanks to many of Morey’s questionable moves, including adding forward Paul George (two years remaining on his deal) in free agency in 2024 and signing center Joel Embiid (three years remaining on his deal) to an extension the same year. Both contracts are now albatrosses for the franchise.
Embiid is set to have a $57.985M cap hit next season, while George carries a $54.126M cap hit. These limit the team’s financial flexibility. Spotrac estimates Philadelphia will be $71.825M over the salary cap next season and have $39.209M in second apron space.
The 76ers could run it back with the same roster after going 45-37 in the regular season this season, but Embiid’s injury issues could lead to another early postseason exit. The center played in just 38 games during the regular season due to knee, shin and oblique issues.
The 76ers can enter a reboot centered on guard Tyrese Maxey (28.3 points per game in 2025-26, No. 5 in NBA) and rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe (16 PPG in 2025-26, No. 52 in NBA). Finding trade partners for George and Embiid, though, will be difficult.
The 76ers are clearly banking on Morey’s firing launching the team back into the championship conversation, but they should exercise more patience. They’re not one move away from hoisting a Larry O’Brien Trophy.