Daryl Morey Defends 76ers Trading 2025 NBA Draft Pick to Move Al Horford Contract

Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has no regrets trading a 2025 first round pick and Al Horford to Oklahoma City in 2020 in return for Danny Green.

"First off, I feel very good about that trade because it put us in a great spot," Morey said, per the Inquirer's Kieth Pompey. "It was before coach [Nick Nurse] was here, but we were the one-seed going into the playoffs. Usually, that gives you a 40-50% chance to make the finals. So I feel good that we got good value out of that trade.

"Danny Green was great for us. Seth Curry was [acquired in] a different trade. But anyway, I feel good about that," Morey continued.

The projected first-round selection came with just a top-six protection in next month’s draft—meaning the Thunder get the pick if it lands outside the top six during the NBA draft lottery on May 12.

Philadelphia’s season was plagued by injuries to two of its top players, Joel Embiid and Paul George, while rising star Tyrese Maxey could use another young contributor to help ease the load.

The 76ers finished the season 24-58 with the league’s fifth-worst record and are in desperate need of their draft pick. With no major trades and Embiid and George carrying difficult-to-move contracts, the Sixers have limited options to improve the roster this offseason.

According to Pompey, the Sixers have a solid shot at keeping their pick, even holding a 10.5 percent chance to win the draft lottery.

"If they do keep the pick, the Sixers will owe their 2026 first-rounder to OKC if it doesn’t fall in the top four picks," Pompey wrote. "If that doesn’t convey, the pick will be top-four protected in 2027. Should the Sixers manage to retain it, the Thunder will get a 2027 second-rounder."

Although offloading Horford’s four-year, $97 million contract initially appeared to be a win for the 76ers, the veteran big man has continued to be a productive contributor for the Boston Celtics since his departure from Philadelphia.

Horford’s contract was originally structured for a starting role or as a backup power forward to Joel Embiid, but he was relegated to a reserve role in his first season after averaging 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds. That production, coupled with the awkward fit, made the decision to include a first-round pick in order to move his deal seem justifiable at the time.

“I think it’s not just us. It’s like league-wide,” Morey said, per Pompey. “There is a sort of a shift in how firsts are sort of being held. Less traded, less protected. They’re only traded in bigger trades when it’s someone like a Paul George who’s moving teams or something like that. So I think that’s shifting.

“That’s one reason why we made a trade of a first and the four seconds because we wanted the ability to upgrade the team next season by having sort of a bigger set of assets and things like that.”

With Horford now a vital contributor to the championship-winning Boston Celtics and the 76ers finishing with just 24 wins, Daryl Morey remains firm in defending his past decisions—despite how they've played out.