The Houston Rockets had a successful offseason. General manager Daryl Morey executed a massive blockbuster deal to bring Russell Westbrook to town to pair with former teammate James Harden while also retaining most of the team's core pieces from the last couple years.
However, recent developments are now threatening Morey's job security. After a scandal that began with a tweet from Morey in support of protestors in Hong Kong, the Rockets are reportedly debating Morey's employment status, according to John Gonzalez of The Ringer:
The Houston Rockets suddenly find themselves in the middle of a geopolitical controversy that could put their chief front-office executive’s job in jeopardy. After general manager Daryl Morey expressed support in a since-deleted tweet for pro-democracy efforts in Hong Kong, the Chinese government, the Chinese Basketball Association, and various Chinese businesses quickly denounced Morey and moved to sever ties with the Rockets. As a consequence, league sources told The Ringer that Rockets ownership has debated Morey’s employment status and whether to replace him.
Morey deleted the tweet after Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta issued a statement clarifying that Morey's views did not reflect those of the team. Fertitta also iterated that the Houston franchise is not a political organization.
Although Fertitta initially stated that he still had a fantastic relationship with Morey while calling him the “best general manager in the league,” there may be an ulterior motive behind Morey's apparent lack of job security.
The Chinese Basketball Association cut all ties and cooperation with the Rockets on Sunday, which is especially notable because Houston has been a major ambassador for basketball in China since they drafted Yao Ming with the first pick of the 2002 NBA Draft.
Morey is widely regarded as one of the best general managers in the NBA, but this geopolitical scandal may cost him his job.
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