Philadelphia 76ers: ESPN Analyst Calls For Daryl Morey to Be Fired After Nightmare 2024-25 Campaign 5 Dec 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers resident of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey speaks with the media before a game against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

'Yeah, That Sucked' – Philadelphia 76ers GM Reveals His True Feelings on Losing Key Player in Free Agency

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 8:19 AM ET

Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey recently broke his silence about losing Guerschon Yabusele to the New York Knicks in free agency.

In an interview with Ky Carlin of the Sixers Wire, Morey admitted he had to choose between Yabusele and Quentin Grimes, as both players are restricted free agents. Needless to say, the Philadelphia 76ers are prioritizing bringing back Grimes over Yabusele.

Yabusele recently called out Philadelphia for giving him a “lowball offer” after coming off a productive 2024-25 campaign with them because he never wanted to leave the team in the first place.

San Antonio Spurs Reportedly Interested in Signing Victor Wembanyama's French Teammate in 2025 Free Agency 4 Feb 2, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) dunks against the Boston Celtics in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

“Yeah, that sucked,” Morey said when he was in Las Vegas for the Summer League. “Again, we got several questions on restricted free agency, I do think that overall structure played into that. We offered him the most we could that wouldn’t limit us and our ability to retain Quentin. That was above minimum. I’ve seen reports saying that that wasn’t, but it was definitely below what he got ended up getting.”

Philadelphia 76ers News: Daryl Morey is determined to retain Quentin Grimes

After losing Guerschon Yabusele to the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers can ill afford to lose Quentin Grimes, who had a breakout run with them.

Philadelphia 76ers Make 1 Big Tyrese Maxey Announcement Before Home Game Vs. Miami Heat 3 Mar 17, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) reacts after making a basket during overtime against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The 25-year-old swingman averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals on 46.9 percent shooting from the field across 28 regular season appearances with the team.

“I think people have said like that created a challenge for us, and it’s true,” Morey said. “So we want to retain Quentin. We hope to work that out with his representation, and our focus was on making sure that happens. That did impact what we could offer Guerschon. We’ve had discussions and discussions recently with his representation, and we hope to work things out.