Doc Rivers said after Sixers' Game 7 blowout loss to the Celtics that he expects to be Philadelphia's coach moving forward, but also said, "No one is safe in our business and I get that."
According to BetOnline.ag, Doc Rivers has an 80-percent of being fired before the start of next season (-400 yes, +250 no).
Philadelphia 76ers reporter Derek Bodner told the 94WIP Morning Show on Monday that Monty Williams and Nick Nurse are two potential replacements for Rivers, if he is indeed fired.
"Monty Williams and the familiarity he has by being here and I think he is still pretty well respected among decision makers in the league," Bodner said when asked about possible replacements for Rivers. "I think Nick Nurse is a fantastic strategical mind who has some faults like the offense this past year was very tough to watch. I think he overplays he players a bit, but I think he is a good coach. I would say those two are probably top of mind, but I'd like to see them be a little bit more creative in their search too and hope it's really exhaustive because you only have so many more times you can play this card before you run out of options."
Williams, 51, was the head coach of the Phoenix Suns from 2019-2023 after spending one season as a Sixers' assistant in 2018-19 under Brett Brown. Williams also played for the Sixers in 2002-03. Williams reached the NBA Finals with the Suns in 2021, but fell short losing to Giannis and the Bucks in six games.
The Bucks are reportedly expected to "seriously pursue" Williams, for what it's worth.
Nurse, 55, was the head coach of the Toronto Raptors from 2018-2023, his only NBA head coaching gig. In 2018-19, Nurse's first season as Raptors head coach, he won the NBA Finals, eliminating the Sixers in the Eastern Conference semifinals thanks to Kawhi Leonard's double-doink Game 7 overtime buzzer beater.
Rivers, 61, spent three seasons with the Sixers winning 49, 51, and 54 games, respectively, in his three seasons as head coach. However, Rivers failed to get the Sixers past the second-round of the playoffs, blowing a 3-2 semifinals series lead against the Boston Celtics.
"Really you are hoping you can find someone to get Joel Embiid to be the Joel Embiid that you need him to be to have a chance to win the title and that's the easiest change to make," Bodner said. "That's why coaches get shuffled a lot maybe even when it's not deserved, because it's just an easy low risk change to try to kick start your franchise or your franchise player."
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