The Philadelphia 76ers' monster offseason appears simple on the surface, as a ton of cap space led to a multitude of signings.
However, Sixers team president Daryl Morey knows it was much more complex to land star Paul George and others.
Morey was one of the most criticized people in the NBA after star James Harden requested a trade and publicly called him out as a liar. The commotion brought a bad light to the organization, but Philadelphia is ready to contend for a championship less than two years later.
It seems Morey got the last laugh in the feud, recently crediting Harden for being able to sign George in an interview on the 76ers' YouTube channel.
"I think it started the prior year's offseason toward free agency. James Harden opted in, and at that point asked for a trade, and I think one of the things we try to do is have the team in a stable position no matter what decisions are made by players," Morey shared. "At that point, we took a step back and said, 'Okay, if we do trade James, what is the right plan?' It was the route that we've gone that led to getting Paul."
Philadelphia's return from the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden was underwhelming, but almost purposeful. The smaller names received allowed them to clear the cap space needed to contract George on a four-year, $212 million deal. Not to mention, Morey also brought in solid contributors Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson.
If the Big Three of George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey bring home a title, Morey's turnaround should be considered one of the most impressive in recent history.
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