Appearing on the latest episode of The Kevin O’Connor Show podcast, veteran forward Marcus Morris, who is currently a free agent, was asked by Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports about Daryl Morey‘s recent comments about using AI in Sixers decisions. The question prompted some pointed comments from Morris about the longtime NBA executive.
“I don’t trust Daryl Morey. I just don’t trust him,” Morris said (Twitter video link). “I think he’s thinking too far ahead of the way basketball needs to be played. He’s trying to do a whole new team. He’s trying to bring guys in, flipping them in and out, in and out, in and out. Does he even understand the dynamic of being in Philadelphia (and) what guys you need to play in Philadelphia?”
“… You tell my guy (James Harden) that you’re gonna do something for him, a guy that you brought from all these teams, and then you don’t. Like, did AI tell him not to pay James Harden this amount of money? Does the AI tell him to go get Paul George, hire Nick Nurse?
“Does AI tell you to get the guy from Miami, Caleb Martin, because he played well in the Boston series? He can’t shoot the ball. You got three dominant guys that need the ball in their hands. Why is that the first guy that you go get? How did you come up with picking a team? Why do you want to start a brand-new team and try to win a championship? I haven’t seen any team that has 10 new guys be really good the following year. I don’t even know if any team has ever done that.
“I’m just not a fan of how he goes about choosing players and flipping players in and out. It’s kind of like he’s trying to outsmart the game too much.”
Morris, a Philadelphia native, has played under Morey multiple times over the course of his 13-year NBA career and acknowledged that those experiences influence his views on the former Rockets and current Sixers president. Morris said Morey sent him to the G League during his rookie season “for no reason” and then traded him off the 76ers last season for a “bag of chips,” even though he was playing well for his hometown team.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) identify the top 50 prospects to watch during this year’s NCAA Tournament, starting with Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe, and Texas’ Tre Johnson. The Blue Devils lead the way with six prospects on the top-50 list, as Kon Knueppel (No. 4), Khaman Maluach (5), Isaiah Evans (28), Tyrese Proctor (33), and Sion James (35) all join Flagg.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has updated his 2025 mock draft ahead of the NCAA tourney, moving South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles into his top 10 at No. 8. Murray-Boyles’ stock is “all over the map,” Vecenie explains, with some scouts viewing him as a top-six player while others consider him more of a top-20 prospect. The 6’8″ forward ranked 18th in ESPN’s last big board update.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) notes that several traded 2025 draft picks have a chance to land in the top half of the first round this June and points out that six of the year’s most valuable traded picks have something in common — they were all initially dealt more than two years ago.
There are plenty of reasons to knock Morey, but moving on from Harden is not one of them.
Moving on after lying to Harden is one of the many reasons to knock Morey.
I don’t buy that, Irv (Chuck)
Kevin McHale came out and called BS on Harden!!!
I like Morey and I fully support him
It’s the owner that I do not like at all! (Josh Harris)
Morey is trash. He has no clue how to put a complete roster together. He should be fire at end of the season but my feeling is he will stay and not be fired.
He did not fix the problem this February
He should fix it next February
You do your homework. There is good talent outside the lottery this year. Some mocks have Boogie outside the lottery. Definitely a lottery pick to me. I’ve seen Maluach outside top 10. Nets are fools to pass on him. Imo first round is loaded this year. Nets with 4 picks can make a killing. OKC with that Sixer pick is just insane. OKC could potentially have three first rd picks. OKC could easily trade for a star next year. They don’t need more draft talent. Their young talent is already growing up.
Steven A hint
Paul George does not want to play for 76ers going forward
In my opinion George is an average player. You don’t expect him to be a star
There is nothing wrong with George
He is not wrong but expectation is wrong
I’m definitely not a Morey fan – but Marcus Morris isn’t lighting the world on fire with basketball insights. He’s bitter that Morey sent him to the G League as a rookie, when he could just acknowledge the fact that he wasn’t very good as a rookie. But no, that would take some self reflection.
On top of that, AI already has a big part of business and sports data and insights – it’s not that Morey is trying to be ahead of basketball, but rather Morris being behind it.