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On May 19, NBA Insider Marc Stein held a chat on his Substack where he held a Q&A. When asked about the possibility of the Philadelphia 76ers hiring former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, Stein revealed how Joel Embiid and Daryl Morey feel about the prospect of hiring Nurse.
“I’m having trouble predicting Nurse’s future. He strikes me as Daryl Morey’s preferred choice in Philly. But I’m not so sure he’s Embiid’s preferred choice,” Stein wrote.
Nurse has an accomplished resume as a head coach, having won a title with the Raptors during the 2018-19 season. After the Raptors missed the playoffs for the second time in three years following the conclusion of this season, Nurse and the Raptors parted ways.
Since going on the market, Nurse has drawn interest from other teams. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on May 22 that Nurse is among the finalists for the vacant head coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Stein Says Joel Embiid-Knicks Trade Won’t Happen For Now
In his chat, one reader asked Stein if there was any truth to the rumors that Embiid will want off the Sixers, or if he’ll wind up with the New York Knicks if he does. While Stein said there are no legs to it, that could change later on.
“Embiid to New York is strictly in the media chatter phase as we speak. There are no legs to it … YET. Could that change? Of course,” Stein wrote.
Stein was asked about Embiid going to the Knicks because Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reported that the Knicks are keeping their eye on Embiid, and it’s only gotten stronger after the Sixers were eliminated from the playoffs.
“Been told since midseason that Joel Embiid is the guy to watch for the Knicks, and Philly’s playoff flameout only intensified that belief,” Bondy wrote.
Bondy added that a deal would be hard to make because of how much is out of the Knicks’ control.
“That I have no idea. It would be very complicated and require many things to happen that are not in Knicks control,” Bondy wrote.
Analyst Comments on Sixers-Nets Trade
Brian Lewis of The New York Post revealed his thoughts on how the Sixers and Nets fared in the James Harden for Ben Simmons trade. Lewis first delved into how he believes the Sixers made out.
“Philadelphia’s gambit was a win-now move, and a title would’ve made the Sixers the clear winners no matter what happened elsewhere. But if Harden leaves, they will have never even gotten close, with their end of the ledger tallied up.”
Lewis said that it is still to be determined whether the Nets won the trade because of Simmons.
“The Nets’ story is still being written — and with Drummond gone and Curry likely to follow, it largely will be defined by Simmons. His contract is one of the most bloated in the NBA in terms of return-on-investment. Now it’s on the Nets to find a way to salvage Simmons and make the best of the situation.”
Lewis concluded by saying that the Houston Rockets may have won the trade should things go their way this offseason.
“Neither they nor the 76ers can walk away saying they won this trade. If Harden ends up returning to Houston — playing at home, alongside the picks he was traded for — the Rockets might be the real winners.”
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