When James Harden requested a trade out of Philadelphia after his tiff with Morey over his contract, the 76ers sought an exit strategy and their next pivot. Morey began trade talks on a Harden deal with the LA Clippers by asking for George;

It was definitely risky, yeah, but it was also the best plan,” Morey said. “A risky plan doesn’t mean it’s a bad plan. It just could be the best plan. It was definitely the best plan.”Source: New

In an annual survey of NBA general managers conducted by John Schuhmann of the league website, the Philadelphia 76ers ' offseason — namely the signing of All-Star forward Paul George — was widely praised.