According to a report from Marc Stein of the New York Times, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was recruited by the Philadelphia 76ers to fill the vacant general manager job left by Bryan Colangelo after the "burner" Twitter accounts scandal. The news came a bit out of nowhere on what is normally one of the most boring sports weeks of the year.
Morey, who has spent 12 seasons as the GM of the Rockets, apparently rebuffed the efforts of the 76ers. He signed a contract extension in 2017 that will keep him in Houston through the 2021-22 season.
Although the news was surprising, there is a connection between the 76ers and Rockets. Former 76ers GM Sam Hinkie, who preceded Colangelo, spent seven years with the Rockets in various roles first under Carroll Dawson and then Morey.
It's not crazy to think Morey would have interest in Philadelphia when you consider their young, talented roster, but he is clearly invested in Houston both as a city and the Rockets as a franchise. The Rockets already lost Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute this summer. The last thing they needed to do was lose their GM. Fortunately, that isn't happening.