Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey addressed the media following the team’s 24-58 finish, their worst full-season record since 2015-16.
Speaking after a 122-102 loss to the Bulls, Morey acknowledged fan frustration and pointed to a combination of injuries and roster imbalance as the primary reasons behind the collapse.
“Our All-Stars missed 134 games,” Morey said, noting the next closest team had around 50 combined missed games from their stars.
Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey played just 119 games collectively as Philadelphia went 5-31 to close the year.
Morey admitted to prioritizing playoff-tested veterans over regular season depth, which left the roster exposed once injuries mounted.
Looking ahead, he emphasized the need to build a “younger and more dynamic” team around the All-Star trio.
Head coach Nick Nurse echoed the same view, citing a lack of continuity as the season’s defining issue.
“We only had two stretches where we thought a run was coming,” Nurse said, referencing a brief surge in December and a short five-game win streak.
Despite the outcome, Nurse credited his staff for continuing to develop younger players such as Justin Edwards, Jared McCain, Adem Bona, and trade deadline addition Quentin Grimes.
Morey acknowledged the mistakes made and said the front office, coaching, and medical departments will all undergo evaluation in the coming days.
He noted the franchise holds a 64% chance of retaining a top-six pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which could be used as a key asset in reshaping the roster.
With Embiid recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, Morey expressed confidence in the medical outlook and reiterated the franchise’s commitment to surrounding him with a better supporting cast.
“Joel takes pride in being an MVP for the city,” he said, adding that the team consulted multiple specialists before the procedure.
When asked about Paul George’s performance, Morey highlighted his defensive impact and noted that offensive inefficiencies were tied to an outsized load during stretches without Embiid or Maxey.
Both Morey and Nurse pointed to the evolving nature of the NBA, where playoff success depends on star talent but regular season consistency comes from depth and athleticism.
The 76ers finished 13th in the Eastern Conference and ended the year with the second-worst point differential among playoff-eligible teams.
With cap flexibility, multiple draft picks, and a new direction focused on youth, Morey said the franchise is entering the offseason with tools to reshape the roster.
“We owe it to the fans who stayed with us,” he said.
