Daryl Morey, the president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, announced at a press conference on Sunday that both he and head coach Nick Nurse will be back next season. Despite speculation about their future after a season that didn`t meet expectations, the team`s owners have decided to give them another opportunity, hoping for a healthier team next season.
Morey has been leading the 76ers` basketball operations since 2020 and appointed Nurse as head coach in 2023, replacing Doc Rivers. This partnership came with high hopes. Morey had a history of building successful teams in Houston without intentionally losing games, and Nurse led the Toronto Raptors to a championship in 2019. Their initial period together seemed promising, with Joel Embiid in contention for his second MVP award in 2024, partly due to Nurse`s adjustments to the offense.
However, Embiid`s injury in the middle of the 2023-24 season significantly impacted the 76ers` performance. They barely made it to the 2024 playoffs through the Play-In Tournament and were eliminated by the New York Knicks in the first round. Furthermore, even after acquiring Paul George on a maximum contract in the following offseason, the team struggled at the beginning of this season, again due to Embiid`s injuries.
Faced with these ongoing challenges, Philadelphia had a critical decision to make. Knowing that their first-round draft pick would go to the Oklahoma City Thunder unless it was among the top six selections, the team could have tried to improve their season`s trajectory or intentionally worsen their record to increase their chances of keeping the pick. They chose the latter, resting veteran players and strategically losing games to achieve the fifth-worst record in the NBA at 24-58. This strategy gives them a 64% probability of retaining their first-round pick in the upcoming Draft Lottery in May and a 10.5% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick and the highly anticipated prospect, Cooper Flagg.
Retaining this draft pick is crucial for the 76ers` plans to rebuild, regardless of where it lands in the lottery. With substantial contracts already committed to Embiid, George, and Maxey, the team urgently needs young, affordable players who can contribute, like those acquired through a lottery pick. Now, the outcome of the lottery will determine if they keep the pick. Regardless, Morey and Nurse will remain to guide the team through this uncertain offseason and into the next season.
Jasper Hawthorne