CAMDEN, NJ — The Philadelphia 76ers' 2023 offseason began with the departure of one key figure: head coach Doc Rivers. The rest of the Sixers' offseason will largely be defined by whether James Harden also skips town. Rumors of his interest in returning to the Houston Rockets are flying around left and right following another championship run that failed to launch.
As Morey spoke with reporters about the disappointing end of the Sixers' season at the team's practice complex, news broke that Harden is expected to decline his player option in favor of a four-year deal. The 33-year-old star wants more room to play his style, which Rivers corralled in favor of a more seamless partnership with Joel Embiid in the pick-and-roll and a steady, floor-general-like presence for the offense. Morey made it clear that Philly isn't ready to lose arguably the best co-star Embiid has ever had.
“We can't have those discussions yet, but we are interested in bringing him back,” Morey said. When asked a follow-up about the difference between signing a younger Harden and an older Harden with more negative playoff baggage, Morey declined to give a full answer. “I really can't go into like something between us and their agency. And we haven't even started because we're not allowed to talk to them yet,” he said.
Morey's first comment about the interest in keeping Harden is about as strong as a stance for a lead front-office executive to take ahead of free agency's official start on July 1 (without succumbing to tampering). It's no surprise given Harden and Morey's extensive time spent working together, either. Plus, even with the playoff flameout, Embiid and Harden meshed very well in their first full season together.
The decision to bring back Harden is not a straightforward one. Given his age, injury concerns and continued failure in the playoffs, signing him to a big deal is incredibly risky. But his highs — which were put on full display with a pair of 40-point games in victories against a strong Boston Celtics defense in the second round of the playoffs — are too good to outright dismiss. The firing of Rivers was a step Morey took to maximize the output of the Sixers' star duo.
After Harden described his relationship with Rivers as being simply “okay” following the Sixers' season-ending loss, reporting from ESPN stated that Harden was done playing for him. Morey downplayed that rift, saying that Rivers, Harden and Embiid had a “very strong” bond. He added that it will be up to him to install the right coach for the team, not necessarily who the players' first choice is.
“The players won’t have a direct input in the coach,” Morey said. “You want to look for a coach that is a fit with how we want to play and the players we have. But the players won't have an input in that.”
As far as who the Sixers' next head coach will be, Morey didn't rule out candidates who don't have head-coaching experience at that level. He laid out a list of traits, which included the ability to maintain relationships with and recruit star players, that he is looking for in the next coach. Morey said that the process will not be a quick one as he prepares to make a humongous decision for the team's immediate future.
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