PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Pardon the cliché, but Daryl Morey and the restructured Sixers front office pulled off a monster slam dunk on Draft Night 2020.
It has been a crash course since joining the organization only weeks ago, and despite his sleep deprivation, Morey couldn’t hide his enthusiasm when talking to reporters around 1 a.m. Thursday.
“I’m excited,” he said through his Black Lives Matter mask. “It was a big day for everyone in the Sixers franchise. Big important thing is our top players are thrilled, energized and ready to come in."
“Sorry. You didn’t even ask a question,” Morey said to a reporter whose turn had come. “I’m just riffing, baby.”
While Morey was riffing — many Sixers fans were rejoicing for the moves he made.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted the news, and a source confirmed it. In exchange for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson, the Sixers will give the Oklahoma City Thunder Al Horford, the rights to Wednesday night's 34th overall pick (which ended up being Theo Maledon), a 2025 protected first-round pick (1 through 6), and the rights to 26-year-old Serbian point guard Vasilije Micić.
According to The Athletic and The Inquirer, there are additional first-round protections if the pick doesn't convey in 2025.
In his one season with the Sixers after General Manager Elton Brand signed him to a multi-year deal, Horford didn’t fit well with the Sixers roster. He especially didn't fit well with fellow big man Joel Embiid. Also a problem: Horford was making a lot of money for a veteran player who wasn’t working out well.
“I haven’t been here, but Al Horford is a really good player,” Morey said. “I know there’s been some buzz around fit and things like that, but honestly we tried to sign him at my past team (the Houston Rockets) and I don’t like how that went down here, because he’s very good. Josh Richardson the same.”
Despite Morey’s respect for Horford, moving on from him to bring in Green will help the Sixers in their need for shooting.
ESPN's Bobby Marks tweeted and a source confirmed that the Al Horford trade will likely not be official until Dec. 8.
However, the deal is still on as constructed and will likely be complete in early December, as indicated in Marks' reporting.
A deal that is official: the Sixers' move to send Josh Richardson and the rights to the 36th pick Wednesday night (which ended up being Tyler Bey) to Dallas in exchange for Seth Curry.
“Trying to improve the fit,” Morey said. “We went in with a goal of increasing our flexibility. The first move we did allowed the second move with Seth."
Morey thinks very highly of Curry’s shooting — a 44.3% career shooter from three-point range, and 45.2% in 2019-20.
“You could argue for him as the best shooter in the NBA,” Morey said.
While Richardson played decently in his one and only Sixers season, he battled injuries here and there and doesn’t offer the type of shooting that Curry does.
“Having a truly gravity-elite shooter really changes the dynamic for Ben (Simmons) and Joel (Embiid).”
Morey believes adding established shooting to the roster, where it was lacking last season after JJ Redick and Jimmy Butler departed, will do wonders for his two All-Stars.
“When Joel and Ben have had that, it’s actually insane how good those lineups and how good those teams played," he said.
Next up for Morey and the Sixers: the free agency period, which begins on Friday.
“We added some flexibility with the moves tonight, and that will give us some more optionality in free agency," Morey said.
The 2020 Draft Picks
While the trades are going to bring in established shooting to the 76ers, Morey also received positive reviews for the three draft picks he and the front office made.
With the 21st overall selection, the Sixers picked Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 14 points a game in his one season of college basketball, which included 19 points a game against Top 25 ranked teams.
“This is a guy who constantly works on his game, has improved his game every year and also is a big team guy,” Morey said. “And those things are important. If you have a top level talent like him, plus you love basketball and you’re willing to work, continue to improve, that’s where you end up having a top player.”
Some believe Maxey, a 20-year-old Texas native, should’ve been picked earlier than 21st.
“I think I always play with a chip on my shoulder, just because that’s how I am, but I’m extremely grateful for where I ended up,” Maxey told reporters after being picked Wednesday night.
Maxey’s college coach, John Calipari, is never hesitant to voice his opinion that a bunch of franchises made mistakes.
“There’s a lot of people who are gonna regret that they passed,” Calipari said on a Twitter video.
Maxey said he can score on and off the ball, and he also spoke highly about his defense, competitive nature and winning mentality. It’s also pretty evident he has a positive personality and a lot of energy.
Coincidentally, Maxey explained at his Thursday morning media briefing that he’s been following a familiar-sounding motto since well before the Sixers adopted "Trust The Process." His shirt Thursday morning read: “Fall In Love With The Process.”
And it’s also fitting that Maxey has developed a previous relationship with Simmons, as well as Lakers superstar LeBron James.
“It’s been great having guys like LeBron and even Ben Simmons as older brothers and mentors," Maxey said Wednesday. "And for someone like me — a rookie coming into the league — it’s great to have those guys on your side."
In the meantime, in the second round, the Sixers selected Arkansas shooter Isaiah Joe with the 49th pick and DePaul forward Paul Reed with the 58th.
Morey described Joe’s shooting as “great” and “elite,” thus making him another shooting addition to a team that sorely needed it.
“They do stress the need for shooters, and I feel like that’s a big reason why they got me,” Joe told reporters after the draft.
Morey called Reed underrated, and he referred to the value in picking him with Horford being moved to Oklahoma City.
Sixers fans won’t have to wait long to see these new players. The NBA’s preseason schedule is slated to begin Dec. 11, and the regular season Dec. 22.