Daryl Morey knows how it looks, but don’t call his Sixers the ‘Northeast Rockets’

When the 76ers’ executives gathered for their annual offseason postmortem, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey recognized that the way it unfolded was “very weird.”

In their quest to fortify the roster with defense, toughness, and versatility around a star-level core, the Sixers signed three players in free agency (P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Montrezl Harrell) who were on the Houston Rockets’ roster during Morey’s tenure as the chief basketball decision-maker. They also traded for De’Anthony Melton, whom Morey originally drafted in 2018. This all, of course, came together less than eight months after Morey swapped Ben Simmons for James Harden, the MVP engine of a Rockets era that yielded gobs of wins and a creatively potent offense but no NBA championship.

» READ MORE: Sixers will go ‘smaller’ behind Joel Embiid with Paul Reed, Montrezl Harrell, and P.J. Tucker

Morey maintains that this is not a proverbial redo, that he did not deliberately set out to assemble Houston Rockets Northeast to take another crack at a title in Philadelphia. But when everything else — such as player profile and salary — is equal, Morey acknowledged those reunions offer a dose of natural comfort and trust.

“If you have had a player, whether it be with [coach Doc Rivers] or myself, it can lower the risk,” Morey told The Inquirer last week. “Because you don’t really know a player until you’ve worked directly with them on your team. So I do think there’s an information advantage when you’ve worked with them before. …

“It all sort of fell, and it’s created a pretty interesting and, I think, positive dynamic because there is a lot of familiarity, both with the players together and also the coaching staff.”

Perhaps the roster puzzle clicking together so perfectly — including Harden declining his player option and taking a $14 million pay cut so the Sixers could sign Tucker — is why the NBA launched an ongoing tampering investigation. Morey, though, reminds that he and Rivers have been in the front office or on the coaching bench for two decades apiece, and thus have worked with a significant collection of players. A contending roster already anchored by Harden, MVP runner-up Joel Embiid, and rising star Tyrese Maxey also makes the Sixers a naturally attractive destination for complementary free agents.

Yet even Sixers players noticed the reconvening of past connections.

Tucker revealed on media day that he and Harden had previously wanted to team up in Philly, and that he was already familiar with the Sixers’ “vibe.” Embiid added that, without Harden’s presence, those additions “would not be possible.” Melton was “geeked” when House — a former Rockets summer league teammate who has remained a friend — agreed to sign. And Harrell is the ultimate full-circle player, as he was traded from Morey’s Rockets to Rivers’ Los Angeles Clippers in the 2017 Chris Paul deal.

“I was just like, ‘This is wild,’” Melton said. “Doc and Daryl was bringing their whole group back.”

Rivers called Tucker the Sixers’ top free-agent target, a pursuit that received a massive assist from Embiid when he lauded Tucker’s toughness by name during his postgame news conference following their playoff-series loss to the Miami Heat.

Morey first signed Tucker with the Rockets in 2017, five seasons after Tucker cracked the NBA following a lengthy overseas career.

That Tucker had not yet demonstrated a consistent corner three-pointer — a vital component of the Rockets’ offensive system spearheaded by Harden — was considered a bit of a risk to Morey. He had a hunch, though, that the league was shifting toward more defensive switching on screens, an approach in which Tucker could thrive. Morey also quickly noticed Tucker’s voice, both with his teammates and while discussing defensive schemes with assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik.

“It’s hard to quantify a lot of this stuff,” Morey said. “… P.J. really helps build that environment you want to create.”

Possibly more important to Rivers, however, is that Tucker won a championship away from the Rockets, as the trade-deadline addition crucial to the Milwaukee Bucks securing their 2021 title. He then spent last season with the Heat, who finished with the Eastern Conference’s best regular-season record despite a barrage of injuries. With the Sixers, Tucker has already been praised for his communication and leadership, in addition to his dirty work on-court duties such as setting screens and running from corner to corner while playing small-ball center during Monday’s preseason game in Cleveland.

“He can tell [teammates from Houston] now, ‘OK, you’re the better player, but this is how you win,’” Rivers said. “And they can’t say, ‘I know.’ So that gives P.J. instant credibility.”

Added Tucker: “I just bring all that experience to the [group] and try to help as much as I can. It’s not something I like to talk about exactly, but you get to give [advice in] certain situations, be able to help guys out [and] be able to figure it out throughout different stages throughout the season.”

Melton, who has drawn rave reviews during training camp for his disruptive defense and backcourt fit, has been on Morey’s radar since he twice traveled to Los Angeles to watch him play at USC.

Morey high-fived colleagues when Melton slipped to No. 46 in the 2018 draft for the Rockets to select, then again when he excelled as a two-way player during summer league. Morey kept tabs on Melton even after trading him to the Phoenix Suns before his rookie season, and after the Suns dealt him to the Memphis Grizzlies the following summer to develop with their exciting young core.

“As [Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman] would know, since that time, I’ve been trying to acquire him,” Morey said of Melton.

That opportunity finally arose on draft night, when the Sixers sent an injured Danny Green and their first-round pick to the Grizzlies.

Rivers, meanwhile, played a significant role in the Sixers landing Harrell and House.

Though Morey fondly remembers Harrell’s strong on-court chemistry with Harden in his first two NBA seasons — which was apparent during Wednesday’s preseason finale, when Harrell quickly scored twice off Harden feeds after replacing Embiid — the reserve big man flourished under Rivers and Clippers-turned-Sixers assistant Sam Cassell. Morey anticipates Harrell becoming a fan favorite because of his intense playing style, a feature to which Sixers fans gravitate.

House, meanwhile, was a tough-minded 3-and-D wing for the Rockets from 2017-21. Yet Morey credited Rivers with shouldering the research to ensure House was “in a very good place and someone that would fit what Doc was trying to create,” Morey said, following a couple of tumultuous years.

After House was kicked out of the 2020 NBA restart bubble for having an unauthorized guest in his hotel room and later waived by the Rockets early last season, he eventually parlayed three 10-day contracts with the Utah Jazz during the omicron COVID-19 surge into a deal for the rest of the season.

Rivers initially expected the Jazz to re-sign House. But when he became available, Morey said Rivers leaned on some relationships from Utah’s coaching staff to feel comfortable offering him a two-year deal.

“That was a big factor in us pursuing him,” Morey said.

» READ MORE: Danuel House Jr.’s only goal is to help the Sixers win: ‘I feel like that’s my biggest accolade’

It is reasonable to ponder if bringing these players back together will recreate the Rockets’ highest level of success. After being traded to the Sixers, Harden lacked the off-the-dribble explosion and consistent step-back jumper that made him a lethal scorer for a decade. Tucker will be 40 years old by the end of his three-year contract. Those Rockets teams, however, did not have anybody like Embiid. Additionally, these Sixers will not rely so heavily on three-point shooting, and have more of a focus on being a topflight defense.

Because of that familiarity, Morey has observed the Sixers’ coaching staff moving to “second-level” preseason concepts quicker than if the newcomers had zero experience with their colleagues. Tucker said it has been “super easy” getting re-acclimated to sharing the court with Harden and House, because, “We all know how we all are, and it just works.” Those connections have also contributed to off-court camaraderie, as evidenced by Morey being pulled into card games during training camp in Charleston, S.C., and several players going to comedian Kevin Hart’s show last week at the Wells Fargo Center.

Just don’t call them Rockets Northeast.

“We’re the 76ers,” House said. “… [Reuniting] just makes your job, when you come into work, I know these guys. I can go up in here and I can work. I can do me. They know me, and in games, [when] I’ve got to step it up, they’ll rely on me. They’ll trust me. They’ll let me do my part.

“It was a good hand of dominoes for us, for certain individuals. We just played the hand that was dealt and got blessed from it.”