The Philadelphia 76ers pulled the plug on the Daryl Morey era after the team fell way short in the conference semis, getting swept by division rivals, the New York Knicks. Morey made questionable trades over the past two years. One of his most controversial decisions was to move on from former first-round pick Jared McCain.
Morey shipped him to the OKC Thunder, where McCain has flourished as a knockdown shooter and scorer off the bench. At times, the 76ers felt the need for a player of his caliber to come off the bench for them. At the time, Morey said the 76ers “sold high” on McCain. However, he didn’t do much to replace the young guard.
According to the latest trade rumors, Morey coveted multiple players but couldn’t complete the moves. 76ers beat writer Adam Aaranson reported on Wednesday that the list included Brandin Podziemski, Naji Marshall, Donte DiVincenzo and Ryan Dunn. The Warriors rejected the trade for Podziemski, who was their most available player this season.
After this rumor came to light, NBA fans mocked Daryl Morey for his strategy, especially the choice to target Podziemski, while he had a player like Jared McCain on the team.
“Morey trying to pry Podziemski out of Golden State is the most Morey thing he has done in years. Young guard, team control, not yet a star. That’s the exact profile Daryl swings on every July. The Warriors’ saying no was the right call, one fan said.
“The Warriors were better for the Sixers than Daryl Morey,” another wrote.
“He thought Podz would improve the roster?” one fan added.
“Daryl you had Jared McCain right there!” one fan wrote.
“Traded McCain for nothing, but wanted to trade for “Podz”. Morey is an idiot,” another said.
Daryl Morey tried to acquire Aaron Wiggins in Jared McCain trade
Daryl Morey tried to add significant value in the Jared McCain trade by inquiring about the Thunder’s Aaron Wiggins. However, OKC declined that offer. The 76ers instead accepted the Thunder’s offer of a first-round pick via Houston in this year’s draft and three second-round picks.
The first-round pick isn’t as valuable as the Rockets made the playoffs as the fifth seed. They will draft the No. 22 pick. The 76ers, who were contending to make the playoffs, could have benefited more from a player replacement than draft capital.
The Knicks used their depth to great effect in the conference semis, resulting in the 76ers’ loss. On the other hand, Jared McCain played a terrific role in the Thunder’s sweep of the Lakers in the conference semis. McCain averaged 11.5 points on 63.2% 3-point shooting in just 14.8 minutes per contest against the Lakers.
