Doc Rivers Could Help Sixers Lure in Daryl Morey

A few weeks ago, Doc Rivers had every intention of coaching the Los Angeles Clippers next season. Surprisingly, Rivers found himself fired after seven seasons on a random Monday in September. Following his departure, multiple teams were interested.

At first, the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans were the first two teams at the front of the line ready to discuss a future including Rivers. As we know now, the Sixers moved quickly and hired Rivers within days.

While the Pelicans' interest in Rivers was public, another organization reportedly had Rivers at the top of their list -- but they didn't move fast enough. The Houston Rockets wanted Morey, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. And the search for Houston's next head coach was led by their General Manager, Daryl Morey.

Last month, there was some speculation that Morey's job was on the line following the Rockets' second-round playoff loss, but the veteran General Manager was staying put. However, Morey is ready to go out on his own terms this week as he announced he's stepping down as the Rockets' General Manager.

Will he join another NBA front office? That's unclear at the moment. It is necessary to note that the Sixers have previously shown interest in Morey. In September, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey reported that the Sixers had planned to inquire about Morey's availability. At the time, Morey was off-limits.

Since Morey's no longer a part of the Rockets' organization, the Sixers could do as planned and pitch an opportunity to come to Philly. Before, a front office job in Philly was hardly desirable as the Sixers implemented a heavily collaborative decision-making process when it came to personnel. Now that the collaborative days are over, and Rivers is the coach running the show, a veteran GM such as Morey could find the opportunity to oversee the Sixers' front office as an appealing opportunity. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_