The Philadelphia 76ers sold their fan base a dream. But after multiple coaching and general manager changes, not to mention the multitude of roster overhauls, with no real results to show for it, “The Process” might not be as lucrative as it once was.
Instead, with their latest promotion for Bob Myers, ESPN’s biggest voice, Stephen A. Smith, believes another change might be necessary for the organization.
Why the 76ers Should Move on From Daryl Morey and Elevate Bob Myers
Before tanking became as prevalent as it is today, they were the first team to fully embrace it, earning a top-3 pick in four consecutive seasons. At the time, the dream was sold as “The Process.”
But more than a decade after Joel Embiid was drafted, the team remains far from a title, having failed to reach the conference finals in that time. The roster has shifted multiple times in those years.
Head coaches and GMs have also shifted multiple times for the 76ers. Starting with Brett Brown, they tried to make it work with Doc Rivers before shifting to Nick Nurse in 2023. The player executive role has shifted multiple times, too, with Morey taking over the spot in late 2020.
However, in recent years, they have added some veterans with proven track records into the mix. One of them is Bob Myers, who helped assemble the roster that ushered in the Warriors’ dynasty.
Taking on an analyst role with ESPN after moving on from the Warriors, he was named president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), the managing entity of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, on Oct. 16, 2025.
As a result, his elevation has Smith envisioning a different route altogether for Philadelphia moving forward. “Daryl Morey, I think the time has come for him. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be an executive in this league or whatever.”
Instead, it all boils down to the franchise he’s a part of. “He ain’t built for Philly. Too analytical, Philly don’t give a damn about that. That’s a blue-collar city; they don’t care about MIT, they don’t care about data analytics. They don’t want somebody there that’s gonna tell you things are better than you think because the numbers say that.”
In his place, though, the solution was painfully clear to the host of “First Take.” “Months ago,” Smith began, “Bob Myers was elevated within the Sixers organization. Let’s stop playing damn games. Philadelphia needs that man running that damn basketball franchise.”
It remains to be seen if the 76ers adopt such a dramatic change.
But for an extremely expensive roster, bowing out in the first round might force them to undergo some changes, and a proven commodity like Myers could be the straightforward solution at their disposal.
