Daryl Morey Admits Major Mistake in Sixers’ Roster-Building Process

How will Daryl Morey avoid a major mistake of the Philadelphia 76ers' past?

Feb 15, 2022; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey speaks with the media at Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Looking in the rearview, the Philadelphia 76ers’ front office understands that they made a major mistake in their roster-building process ahead of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

While there doesn’t seem to be any regret surrounding the acquisition of the nine-time All-Star Paul George, Sixers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, sees the flaws in adding too many aging veterans to fill up the rotation.

“Last season was pretty clear, and I put this on me,” Morey told 97.5 The Fanatic earlier this week.

While the Sixers were going to struggle to overcome the consistent absences of the star group either way, injuries piled up at an alarming rate. By the time the Sixers returned from the All-Star break, a disappointed fan base encouraged tanking more than making a push for the NBA Play-In Tournament.

That reaction said a lot, considering the Sixers were viewed as potential championship contenders after a busy offseason.

Feb 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) reacts with guard Tyrese Maxey (0) against the Miami Heat in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

“We came in with the third-best odds to win the title last year in Vegas,” Morey explained.

That means nothing.

How Will Daryl Morey and the Sixers Fix the Mistake?

Morey’s thinking wasn’t totally off-base last year. When you’re going all-in, experience is preferred from your primary contributors.

“My thinking there was, how do I get this group healthy and into the playoffs? How do I have playoff-level players, and generally, those are players with playoff experience, the ones that sort of round out, can shoot, and things like that,” said the President of Basketball Ops.

“What I did not do well was make sure we have the youth and athleticism to get through the regular season and put us in that position. That’s something we’ll do next year.”

Kyle Lowry (38), Eric Gordon (36), Reggie Jackson (34), Kelly Oubre (29), Caleb Martin (29), and Guerschon Yabusele (29), all signed with the Sixers last offseason to play a role. Most of them struggled to stay healthy enough to remain in the lineup.

Morey vows to have a different approach this time.

“Our rotation is going to be guys 25 and younger,” he claimed. “Like, the majority of our rotation will be there.”

If anything positive came out of last year, it’s this realization. The Sixers found out that guys like Jared McCain (20), Justin Edwards (21), and Adem Bona (21) are good enough to crack the rotation. Morey specifically mentioned the value of having those three earn notable playing time throughout the year.

Plus, the Sixers could end up with a top-six pick in the NBA Draft Lottery next week. That’s another youngster who could get the nod to crack the rotation next year.