On May 30, Beijing time, according to Woj, Nick Nas has reached an agreement with the 76ers, and he will become the new coach of the 76ers. In his five seasons with the Raptors, Nass led the team to a 227-163 record and a 25-16 playoff record. The Suns also want to hire Nas, but he prefers to coach Embiid. Interestingly, in last year's playoffs, Embiid complained that Nass loved to complain about the referee's decision. U.S. media believe that Nas's arrival will boost the 76ers' defense.
Nass has been an assistant coach with the Raptors since the 2013-14 season. In 2018-19, Nas became the head coach of the Raptors and helped the team win the NBA championship. In the 2019-20 season, Nass was named Head Coach of the Year. This season, his Raptors have a 41-41 record, reaching the playoffs before losing to the Bulls and missing the playoffs. On April 22, 2023, the Raptors fired Nas.
On May 17, the 76ers fired Rivers, who lost seven to the Celtics in this year's Eastern Conference semifinals. For Nas, he inherited the 76ers with 54 wins this season and a 2022-23 regular-season MVP Embiid. The biggest suspense is whether Harden will appear in his roster when Nas's 76ers training camp begins.
Until June 30, Harden will need to decide whether to reject his $35.6 million option. Earlier reports said Harden planned to reject the option and jump out of his contract to become a free agent. The Rockets are his potential next home, but the 76ers haven't given up hope of renewing his contract.
Will the addition of Nass change Harden's choice? There were also previous reports that Harden and Rivers did not have a good relationship, and the 76ers fired Rivers, perhaps to further retain Harden. The outside world believes that Nass is the best choice for the 76ers, and can the 76ers, who have stopped in the Eastern Conference semifinals for three consecutive seasons, usher in a breakthrough in the new season? Let's wait and see.