After losing to the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs last season, Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers used free agency to freshen up the team for one last chance at an NBA championship.
Due to the Sixers losing to the Knicks in the playoffs, they attempted to revamp and revitalize their roster to make one final push for an NBA championship with Joel Embiid at the helm.
Daryl Morey, the president of operations for the Sixers, made it known during the offseason that he wanted to sign Paul George since Tobias Harris’ contract would expire that offseason.
Paul George speculation among fans and media started to grow as Philadelphia became more and more likely to sign 34-year-old star forward, Paul George to a hefty short-term contract.
On July 6, during the middle of the night, Paul George would sign his name on the dotted line making him a Sixer earning him $212 million over the course of the next four years.
That’s not the only move Morey wanted to get done, as Tyreese Maxey had only two years left on his contract after the ‘23-’24 season.
Morey’s goal this past offseason was to re-sign Tyreese Maxey and bring in depth to the small forward position.
It wouldn’t take long for the Sixers to make a move as they re-signed Maxey to a massive contract extension worth $204 million over five years on July 7.
Morey wasn’t done however as also on July 7, the Sixers would re-sign fan favorite Kelly Oubre Jr for $16.3 million over the next two years.
It was clear to fans that Morey wanted to go all in for one last chance at the Larry O’Brian trophy, but not only did he have to build a championship-winning team, but he needed to regain the trust of fans and media alike.
After five-plus years of “trusting the process,” fans are tired of the endless suffering during the season.
Whether it’s star players underperforming or getting hurt, or not being able to get past the second round of the playoffs during Joel Embiid’s tenure, fans are disappointed, annoyed and angry.
More importantly, they are desperate for the Sixers to show any sign of success in the playoffs.
The fans can only hope for the future of Sixers basketball to be held in a positive light, not repeatedly ridiculed by the media for having good teams but no success.
The Sixers finished up free agency rounding out the depth of the team signing forward Caleb Martin, center Andre Drummond, forward Guerschon Yabusele and drafting guard Jared McCain out of Duke University.
The Sixers season started off in typical Sixers fashion, as Embiid and George both got hurt before the season even began.
Embiid, although playing for Team USA in the Olympics, has been sidelined for left knee management.
Embiid’s left knee is the same knee he tore his meniscus during last season.
George was sidelined with an apparent bone bruise after he hyperextended his knee during the second quarter vs the Hawks in the preseason.
George was sidelined for a couple weeks until he made his return in the Sixers’ loss to the Clippers on Nov 6.
While rehabbing his injured left knee, after an altercation with reporter Marcus Hayes, Embiid has been suspended three games by the NBA.
This took place after Hayes wrote a column in The Philadelphia Inquirer where he distastefully brought up Embiid’s son and his deceased brother.