Getty Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard confers with assistant coach Sam Cassell before a game against the Charlotte Hornets.
Ben Simmons’ future with the Philadelphia 76ers may be the hottest topic in the City of Brotherly Love right now, but the All-Star point guard isn’t the only one who could be leaving. A key member of Doc Rivers’ coaching staff also appears to be considering a big move.
Sam Cassell, one of Rivers’ right hands dating back to his 2014 move from the Boston Celtics to the Los Angeles Clippers, has borne the look of a prime candidate for a number of top jobs this offseason. Before the Beantowners hired Ime Udoka, Heavy’s Sean Deveney opined that Cassell “should be their man.”
Elsewhere, the Washington Wizards — the team with which Cassell got his first official assistant’s gig — appeared to be a no-brainer landing spot for the former NBA All-Star as he seeks his first head-coaching role. Per The Athletic’s Fred Katz, he interviewed with the team last week.
However, a new report has indicated that Cassell may not currently be under consideration in the District of Columbia.
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Insider: Cassell as Wizards Next HC ‘Unlikely’
Over the weekend, BetMGM Tonight host and Washington Wizards insider Quinton Mayo reported via Twitter that Cassell may not be in play for the team’s head coaching job. According to his sources, the 51-year-old becoming the team’s next coach is “very unlikely.”
If true, Cassell being omitted or removed from Washington’s shortlist would be a surprise, given both his desire to ascend to the next level of coaching and his extensive history with the Wizards franchise.
After a year as something of a player-coach for Rivers’ Celtics, Cassell’s coaching journey officially began in 2009 when he was hired by Flip Saunders to be one of the Wizards’ assistants. When the team moved on from Saunders two years later, he was retained by Randy Wittman, and he would remain in Washington until 2014.
Moreover, current Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard was with the franchise when Cassell was there. So there is a preexisting relationship between the two. There’s also significant history between Cassell and the Wizards’ current alpha, Bradley Beal.
During his run in D.C., Cassell worked closely with Beal. When the high-scoring guard lit Philly up with a 60-point effort this past season, Rivers went so far as to joke that it was Cassell’s fault, as relayed by NBC Sports Washington.
Cassell Staying Put Would Be a Great Thing for Philly
Considering his importance to the Sixers’ player development program, people in Philly should be rooting for Cassell to stay put. Especially heading into this particular offseason.
Although a growing number of fans are ready to run Simmons out of town, there’s a decent chance he remains in Philly. To make a continued partnership work, the former No. 1 overall pick is going to have to work double-time to fix his shooting and bolster his offensive skillset.
Cassell would undoubtedly play a role in those efforts.
The Sixers also have a number of young guards and wings in Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton and Matisse Thybulle who could benefit from Cassell’s tutelage. As a player, Cassell was a game-changer on the perimeter, averaging up 15.7 points, 6.0 assists and 3.2 rebounds during his 15-year run.
He also knows what it takes to win, capturing two titles with the Houston Rockets in the mid-1990s and a third with the Cs in 2008.
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