{"id":34618,"date":"2020-11-02T16:59:31","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T21:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=34618"},"modified":"2020-11-02T16:59:31","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T21:59:31","slug":"philadelphia-76ers-officially-name-morey-team-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2020\/11\/02\/philadelphia-76ers-officially-name-morey-team-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia 76ers Officially Name Daryl Morey as Team President; Extend Elton Brand as GM"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> officially named Daryl Morey as the team\u2019s next president of basketball operations, according to the <\/a><\/span>Associated Press<\/span><\/i>. Additionally, the 76ers have extended the contract of Elton Brand<\/a> as general manager.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Philadelphia 76ers name Daryl Morey next Team President\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Morey\u2019s Short Stint of Unemployment\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s been less than three weeks, but Morey is officially back employed for the front office of an NBA franchise. After 13 seasons, <\/span>Morey stepped down<\/span><\/a> as general manager of the Houston Rockets<\/a> on October 15th. This decision came on the heels of Houston\u2019s failure to reach the NBA Finals despite a series of big-name acquisitions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On Monday, 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris officially named Morey as president of basketball operations. The news is rejoiced by Philadelphia fans, who have experienced disappointing results despite a championship-caliber roster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDaryl Morey is one of the very best front-office executives in the NBA and I\u2019m thrilled to welcome him to Philadelphia as the 76ers President of Basketball Operations,\u201d Harris said. \u201cTalent like Daryl rarely becomes available so we moved quickly and aggressively to bring him here. He has an extraordinary track record of success in this league as an innovator, visionary, and leader, and I believe he significantly improves our chances of delivering a championship-caliber team to our fans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, under Morey\u2019s leadership, the Rockets have also been pegged as a disappointing franchise. Since 2007, Morey\u2019s teams have compiled a 640-400 overall record. In that span, Houston has won 50-plus games eight times, qualified for the postseason 10 times, and reached the Western Conference Finals multiple times. Yet, Houston has not reached the NBA Finals since 1995.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to Morey\u2019s hire, Philadelphia also announced the multi-year extension of Brand, the club\u2019s current general manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

Does Brand\u2019s Extension Signal More Disappointment for 76ers fans?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

In September of 2018, the 76ers announced Brand as the newest general manager. While rumors have swirled around his future with the franchise with playoff disappointments, the future may be brighter. The former standout NBA big-man was instrumental in the 76ers hire of head coach Doc Rivers<\/a> early last month.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, Philadelphia\u2019s ownership sets high hopes for this new partnership of front office leadership between Morey, Brand, and Rivers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis offseason, we made it our mission to make this organization better and stronger,\u201d said Harris. \u201cBy hiring a tremendous front-office leader in Daryl and championship coach in Doc, as well as extending Elton, we\u2019re proud of what we\u2019ve assembled. I\u2019m excited for their leadership and look forward to continuing to build a team this city and our fans can be proud of.\u201d\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Brand enters his third season with the 76ers and has not been shy about blockbuster acquisitions. Under his leadership, Philadelphia made moves for Tobias Harris<\/a><\/strong> and Jimmy Butler<\/a> <\/strong>during the 2018-19 season. While Philly reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals that season, the franchise came up short thanks to Kawhi Leonard<\/a>\u2019s<\/strong> heroics in Toronto.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Butler obviously departed for the Miami Heat<\/a>, but Brand helped construct moves for Josh Richardson<\/a><\/strong> and Al Horford<\/a><\/strong>. This new-look unit of superstars that included homegrown superstars Joel Embiid<\/a> <\/strong>and Ben Simmons<\/a> <\/strong>never exactly meshed. The 76ers finished sixth in the Eastern Conference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 76ers do not lack talented players. The question remains. Can this new partnership between Morey, Brand, and Rivers bring championship aspirations home to Philadelphia? The current structure will need some maneuvering, however, this team is not far off.
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\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>