Daryl Morey abruptly parted ways with the Houston Rockets in October with the reported expectation of taking a gap year, but he soon was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers. 

"Maybe Daryl pulled the ripcord and got out of there maybe because he knew this was as far as he could take it," said Brian Windhorst.

"Listen, I think your cause and effect is out of whack there," replied Tim MacMahon. "Daryl pulled the ripcord because he knew Harden was going to pull the ripcord. 'You want to jump out of the plane? Not until I go first.'"

It was recently reported that Harden decided he wanted a trade from the Rockets around the time they hired Stephen Silas. Houston hired Silas soon after Morey departed the franchise. When Morey was still on the job, the Rockets pursued Doc Rivers and Ty Lue as head coach. The Clippers hired Lue on October 15th, which was coincidentally or not the same day Morey stepped down from his jobs with the Rockets.

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop reported this week that Morey sent word to Tilman Fertitta that he wouldn't be back on September 13th, the same date Mike D'Antoni also informed the Rockets of his own decision. Morey's intention didn't become public until approximately one month later.