76ers’ Top HC Targets to Maximize Joel Embiid, James Harden After Doc Rivers Firing

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After losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third straight season, the Philadelphia 76ers are now searching for a new head coach.

The Sixers dismissed head coach Doc Rivers on Tuesday after three years at the helm. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the news.

Philadelphia blew a 3-2 series lead over the Boston Celtics and lost Sunday’s Game 7 in demoralizing fashion.

Wojnarowski added that the list of head coaching candidates for the Sixers will include Mike Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, Mike D’Antoni, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel and Monty Williams. Philadelphia must identify the right person who can maximize the strengths of 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and veteran guard James Harden, provided the latter returns to the team next year.

Harden can become a free agent this summer by declining his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season, and he might return to the Houston Rockets, according to multiple reports. Assuming Harden remains in Philadelphia, his partnership with Embiid is the most important factor toward the team’s success on the court.

Of the names Wojnarowski listed, D’Antoni presents an intriguing option because of Harden’s success under him while they were in Houston. Harden was one of the most dangerous offensive players in the league and also earned the MVP award in 2018. However, the Rockets failed to make it to the NBA Finals during the D’Antoni-Harden era, so the Sixers would be wise to explore other options.

Budenholzer, Nurse and Vogel all have championship pedigree, with each of them coaching their respective former teams to NBA titles within the last five years. Williams also led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021. Philadelphia should be focused on taking advantage of its window of title contention while Embiid is in his prime, so adding a coach with championship experience could be the best path forward for the franchise.

Cassell appears to be a wild card as the Sixers’ only in-house candidate on Wojnarowski’s list. He has been an assistant in the NBA since 2009 and he has worked under Rivers not only in Philadelphia, but also during his tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers from 2014 to 2020. Cassell’s relationship with Embiid and Harden will go a long way toward determining if he’s the right man for the job.