Daryl Morey admits to mistakes as he vows to turn the Sixers around this offseason

Daryl Morey began his postgame news conference Sunday by acknowledging the 76ers’ season was a failure.

The team’s president of basketball operations added that Sixers ownership, coach Nick Nurse, star players Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, and the whole roster expect more.

Morey talked about feeling for the fans “who put their heart and soul” into this team. Then he mentioned how injuries were a major factor in the Sixers’ struggles, with Embiid, Maxey, and George combining to miss 134 games.

“I’ll just say, personally, I will spend every waking hour figuring out how to turn this team around going into next season,” Morey said to conclude his opening statement.

And there’s a lot to turn around.

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The Sixers concluded arguably the most disappointing season in the franchise’s 76-year history with a 122-102 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center.

They finished the season with the league’s fifth-worst record of 24-58 and lost 31 of their final 36 games.

Morey noted that he, general manager Elton Brand, and Nurse will return next season. The franchise will, however, evaluate the front office, coaching staff, and roster in the offseason.

Morey did admit to several missteps, though.

“When you go through a season like this, you need to take a step back and everyone needs to find a mirror starting with myself [to see] what could have gone better,” he said. “What can I do better? There’s quite a few things there.

“I would say one of those things, I was very focused on finding veteran-type players who generally perform very well in the playoffs. And I didn’t put enough emphasis on the team getting through the regular season. And so next season for sure, we will be a younger, more dynamic group.”

But one could argue his biggest misstep was the major financial offseason investment in Embiid and George even though they have well-documented injury histories. Morey’s decisions could set the team back for the next five seasons.

Looking to make a free agency splash, the Sixers signed George to a four-year, $211.5 million, maximum contract in July. George, who will turn 35 on May 2, played in only 41 games.

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He was officially shut down for the remainder of his struggling season after receiving injections in the left adductor muscle in his groin and his left knee on March 17.

But that’s nothing compared to Embiid.

The 2023 league MVP and seven-time All-Star played in only 19 games this season while struggling to gain full strength in his left knee after undergoing another meniscus surgery last February. The ongoing knee issue led to Embiid having an arthroscopic surgery performed by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow on Wednesday at NYU Langone Sports Medicine Center.

This came after Embiid played in just 39 games last season.

Despite that, the Sixers signed him to a three-year, $192.9 million maximum extension that will keep him under contract through the 2028-29 season. Embiid, now 31, is set to make $69 million in the final year of his deal. And his career earnings will swell to $514.8 million, the fourth highest in NBA history behind LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and George.

Why would Morey rush to give Embiid an extension last summer instead of waiting to see how his knee responded this season?

“I think with that, Paul was a very good fit, obviously,” Morey said. “We brought him here. He’s only here because he wants to play with the organization, but very specifically with Joel Embiid, and I think for us, that was the best plan to put the best team together, and that’s a group decision when you make those decisions. A long way of saying, when you have Paul signed long-term, it’s important for your MVP-level player to also be signed long-term.”

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid and Paul George are the ‘big concerns’ as Sixers look forward to uncertain future, Nick Nurse says

Morey said giving Embiid an extension was a group decision by the front office. However, there were rumors circulating that co-managing partner Josh Harris did not want to give Embiid an extension last summer. Harris only did it after some persuasion by Morey.

“I think that’s sort of a lack of understanding how things work in this league. Like David [Blitzer], Josh, Elton [Brand], Nick, we are a decision-making unit,” Morey said when asked if the rumors were true. “We’re looking for how do we put together the best team to win a championship. There isn’t ever a ‘this person wanted this or that.’ We have a group discussion and then make a decision as a group.”

Morey spoke of Embiid coming back and playing at a high level on numerous occasions Sunday.

The thing is: Embiid has played in just 58 games combined in the last two seasons. And most of this season, he was the shell of his former, dominant self. The 7-foot-2 center shot career lows from the field (44.4%) and on three-pointers (29.9%). And Wednesday’s procedure was the second surgery on his knee in 14 months and the third in nine seasons.

So aside from the latest surgery being done by a well-respected sports medicine doctor, what gives Morey confidence that Embiid will return to his old form?

“Look, obviously, Coach and I aren’t doctors,” Morey said. “And we have to rely on the information they give us to make our decisions. It’s not just one doctor, we’re talking about multiple doctors, and Dr. Glashow going in with surgery, coming out optimistic makes us optimistic.”

But Morey gets paid to build what the Sixers hope will be a championship-caliber roster. He feels good about what Brand and the Sixers scouting staff can do.

“Finding [Guerschon] Yabusele,” he said, “finding guys like that to fill it out, I would say the biggest thing is.”