Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has resigned.
What We Know:
- Many in the NBA community foresaw big changes for the Houston Rockets after another disappointing end to their season, but the expectation was that Morey’s position would be safe. According to ESPN, Morey brought up the idea of leaving the team with owner Tilman Fertitta and both sides quietly arranged an exit arrangement.
- Morey spent 13 seasons at the helm for the Rockets. He most notably made the 2012 trade for James Harden and constructed the team that won 65 games in 2018. Under Morey, the Rockets made the playoffs eight consecutive years, the longest active streak in the league, and maintained the second-best regular-season record over the past 13 years.
- Morey was one of the foremost advocates for the heavy use of analytics in basketball. His teams with Mike D’Antoni were known for targeting the most “high-percentage” shots on the court. The Rockets perenially took the most threes in the league and almost entirely eliminated the midrange jumper from their shot selection, a trend that a lot of the league has followed.
- Morey’s job security initially came under question in 2019 when he tweeted his support for Hong Kong protests. That tweet stirred a massive controversy with the Chinese government that had serious financial implications for the NBA and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta.
- The Rockets are promoting executive VP of basketball operations Rafael Stone to general manager and Morey will stay on in an advisory role during Houston’s coaching search. Former head coach Mike D’Antoni stepped down shortly after their 2020 season concluded and the team is fielding several candidates. The Rockets have already met with Tyronne Lue and former Houston head coach Jeff Van Gundy.
There are plenty of teams that would love to have Morey as an executive, but it’s unclear if and when he will return to the league. According to ESPN, Morey hasn’t ruled out returning to the NBA, but he is interested in exploring other professional opportunities and spending time with his kids.
Update: Tyronne Lue has agreed to become the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.
