Based on the NBA’s tampering rules, former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey — now president of basketball operations with the Philadelphia 76ers — is expected to minimize his references to players under contract with other teams.
But while indirect, it doesn’t take an elite detective to determine who Morey was likely referring to in this recent quote obtained by Sean Bernard of the Philly Sports Network.
“There was another prominent player who fell in this year’s draft that we were trying to move up for,” Morey reportedly said, via Bernard. “I couldn’t understand why they were falling, because I’ve seen him play live multiple times here in town.”
That prominent player, of course, appears to be new Rockets rookie (and summer-league MVP) Cam Whitmore. It was a draft-night stunner when Whitmore, a top-five projection in many mock drafts, somehow fell to Houston’s second first-round pick at No. 20 overall.
Whitmore played his college basketball at Villanova, located in suburban Philadelphia. Thus, Morey’s thinly veiled reference.
Even with widespread praise and positive draft grades, it’s still on Whitmore and the Rockets to prove worthy of the hype, starting this fall. But for now, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone — who replaced Morey, starting in late 2020 — probably doesn’t mind the public relations boost during a slow period on the NBA calendar.
It also should confirm that there was no smoking gun, i.e. a hidden medical issue, to prompt Whitmore’s unexpected slide. After all, the 76ers tried to land him, themselves. They just weren’t able to agree on a trade, and Whitmore shockingly stayed on the board for Houston.
Daryl Morey seems to indicate the Sixers attempted to move up and get Cam Whitmore in the draft:
"There was another prominent player who fell in this year's draft that we were trying to move up for. I couldn't understand why they were falling because I've seen him play live…
— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) July 18, 2023
