Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has reported that Leslie Alexander has stated he will extend Daryl Morey's contract. Read the full write up here.
Daryl has been the GM of the Houston Rockets since May 10, 2007. The hallmark of Daryl's teams for the majority of his time in Houston was a hydra of a squad where no matter how many players were injured there never seemed to be too marked a drop off in production. Someone always stepped up. In his tenure the Rockets fielded a lineup at one time that included Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and Ron Artest on the court at the same time. Under that same tenure the Rockets advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. Unfortunately the success of that Rockets team was doomed by injuries to the centerpieces. The aftermath saw the corpse of Tracy McGrady flipped for draft picks, Jordan Hill, and Kevin Martin. Houston set forth on a quest to gather draft picks, shed salary, and maneuver themselves into a position to make a deal. All of that maneuvering began to show production this offseason with the signings of Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik and the gutting of the Houston Rockets roster. The culmination of all of Daryl's work occurred on October 27, 2012 (Which I still consider my early birthday present). On that day James Harden donned Rockets red and Daryl Morey locked himself into position for the long term in Houston. Leslie Alexander saw that and appreciated the work done.
The article states that Leslie makes no effort to hide his methods from Daryl Morey. Leslie is quoted as having told Daryl that he judges his performance at all times and that is one of the foundational pieces of the relationship they share. Daryl is praised for how he managed to angle Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik to the team and how he put the team in place to land Harden. Daryl laid the groundwork for the current Rockets team together meticulously over the years despite a great deal of angst amongst a fanbase that felt the tires were spinning in Houston. Once the green light went on for Daryl to dismantle the roster and put all the pieces he gathered into play the Rockets were put on the fast track to recovery. Ladies and gentlemen, if that doesn't get you a contract extension in short order I'm not sure what else will.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the article is that Alexander says he feels as though Daryl's job is easier this year. Alexander lauds the city of Houston and states that players like the city (Something we've discussed on this board before but I think that debate is best summarized as "They love the city but the team left a lot to be desired."). Now that James Harden is in place and Asik and Lin are central to the plan Alexander feels his Rockets squad now has what it has been sorely lacking (Coincidentally something Alexander never actually said but I understand public relations as much as the next guy). This admission is the ultimate endorsement of his GM and the proverbial pat on the back for Daryl. In it he essentially says "Daryl put Houston back on the map."
Congratulations Daryl, I'm glad to see you at the helm and we're all excited to see what you can do with maximum contract cap room this summer. Go Rockets.