Getty Images The Philadelphia 76ers have fired Brett Brown.
The Process is over in Philadelphia and now, a new process will begin: the process of finding a new head coach.
The Sixers have fired Brett Brown, the team announced on Monday. Brown had been the head coach of the team for the past seven seasons, enduring the rebuild and the firing of two GMs (Sam Hinkie and Bryan Colangelo). The team’s current GM, Elton Brand, wished Brown well in a statement to the media.
“I have a tremendous level of respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he’s done for the 76ers organization and the City of Philadelphia,” Brand said in a statement. “He did many positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three straight postseason appearances.
“Unfortunately, we fell well short of our goals this year and I believe it is best to go in a new direction. This will be an important offseason for us as we look to get back on track towards our goal of competing for an NBA championship.”
With the Sixers moving on from Brown—a direction which is not a surprise within NBA circles given Philadelphia lackluster season—the team will look for a new voice to lead the team. Let’s take a look at some candidates:
Frontrunner: Clippers Assistant Coach Tyronn Lue
The Sixers are expected to shift their focus to Tyronn Lue, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. Lue’s ability to command the respect of high-level players is a major reason why his name is at the top of Philadelphia’s list.
Lue won a championship coaching LeBron James and the Cavaliers back in 2016. The Sixers won’t be alone their pursuit of Lue, as the Pelicans, Bulls, and Nets will surely look in his direction. The Rockets may be another team with interest should they decide to move on from Mike D’Antoni.
While there may be many suitors for Lue, the former Laker does have interest in Philadelphia’s gig, per Woj. Still, the franchise is expected to conduct an extensive search and other candidates could emerge.
Other Potential Targets for Philadelphia
Villanova’s Jay Wright – The Sixers are expected to gauge Wright’s interest leaving the suburbs of Philadelphia for the glamour of city life on Broad Street (a reminder that Villanova is not in Philly). Wright has turned down NBA opportunities in the past and he was rumored to be in the mix for the position back when Bryan Colangelo took over the GM role in 2018.
Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson – As our own Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson’ suggested, Jackson should be on Philadelphia’s list. Jackson was responsible for fostering the talent in Golden State before he replaced by Steve Kerr.
Former Pistons & Magic coach Stan Van Gundy – If you were listening to Van Gundy on TNT’s broadcast of the Sixers-Celtics series, you could hear his interest in this team. Whether that was simply being a thoughtful analyst or throwing his ideas out there as a potential job pitch, Van Gundy has the insight to fix some of these issues. SVG helped Dwight Howard and Andre Drummond bloom in Orlando and Detriot, respectively. Perhaps he could get the most of out Joel Embiid.
Sixers assistant coach Ime Udoka – There’s a chance that Philadelphia simply promotes Udoka, as Shams Charania reports that he is an early candidate for the position. He was one of Gregg Popovich’s top assistants in San Antonio before migrating to Philadelphia before this past season. The Sixers won’t be the only franchise looking at him as the coaching carousel turns.
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Sixers Fire Brett Brown: Who’s Likely to Replace Him?