The Philadelphia 76ers were the only team that came into the free agency period without a recognised general manager after they fired Bryan Colangelo last month.Head coach Brett Brown has had to hold down the thought on an interim basis as the franchise continues to look for somebody to fill the void.The lack of a GM may have hurt their chances to land the marquee free agent they were hoping to.Aside from re-signing veterans J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson, they haven't made any significant moves so far this offseason.But the Sixers have certainly been working hard behind the scenes to find a replacement and reportedly identified Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey as their number one target.According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, however, Morey has rejected the opportunity to take the role in Philly.Stein reported on Monday that the 76ers "had great interest in Morey" but were "rebuffed in their attempt."
Philadelphia failed to prise him away from the Rockets, where he has spent the last 12 years.
One of the best
The interest in Morey makes sense for the Sixers as he was recently named Executive of the Year after Houston finished with the best record in the league last season at 65-17 and reached Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
He has turned the Texas-based outfit into serious championship contenders and the second best team in the league.
They were a Chris Paul injury away from beating the Golden State Warriors after holding a 3-2 lead.
The chances of luring Morey away from Houston were always slim but Philly didn't see any harm in trying.
As one of the league's best executives, it's no surprise that they aimed high in the search for their new GM.
The 76ers have an extremely bright future and they're clearly looking for an experienced head to lead their front office.
The organisation has championship aspirations and will be one of the favourites to win the Eastern Conference this season following the departure of LeBron James.
With talented duo Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons leading their charge, the Sixers are easily one of the best teams in the conference.
The opportunity would appeal to many executives but Morey clearly isn't interested as he's happy with what he's building in H-Town.
For the 76ers, however, there are still some credible names available on the market such as former Cleveland Cavaliers GM David Griffin who helped to deliver a championship in 2016.
Philadelphia is certainly looking at the best names but they may have to be more realistic.
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