Sixers Rumors: NBA Insider Claims Daryl Morey Plans to Star Hunt Again
Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has a reputation for landing the big fish when he hits the trade market.
During his days as the Houston Rockets' General Manager, Morey executed trades for big names such as James Harden, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook.
Since he landed with the Sixers two offseasons ago, Morey's made several notable trades and brought in his guy Harden from the Brooklyn Nets after going star hunting due to the Ben Simmons saga.
As long as Harden picks up his player option as promised, the Sixers will go into next season with two All-Stars in Joel Embiid and James Harden on the roster. But it seems Morey isn't satisfied with just two. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Morey has big plans to bring a third star to Philadelphia to team up with Harden and Embiid.
"I promise you that Daryl Morey has big, giant plans to acquire another star," said Windhorst on Monday. "Whether he's going to execute it, I don't know. But part of getting that done is to require Harden to take some sort of pay cut."
Will Harden be willing to do that? Reports in the past have hinted that Harden might give Daryl Morey and the Sixers a discount so they can build a better team around Embiid and himself.
When asked about the possibility of taking a team-friendly extension, Harden offered a positive response following Philly's Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat late last week. "Whatever it takes to help this team grow and put us up there with the best of them," said Harden.
With the 2022 NBA Playoffs still going, the Sixers haven't been linked to any big names just yet. Throughout the 2021-2022 season, the Sixers were rumored to have interest in players such as Portland's Damian Lillard and Washington's Bradley Beal.
It's currently unclear who Morey's big target is this time around, but it seems the Sixers will be star hunting once again following a disappointing playoff run.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
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