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The Philadelphia 76ers have fired coach Brett Brown, the team announced Monday.
Brown’s dismissal is expected to be a precursor to more upheaval for the 76ers, whose senior management – including general manager Elton Brand – will begin to explore changes in the front office structure, sources said.
The franchise’s plan is for Brand to continue to oversee basketball operations, sources said, but the front office staff and structure are undergoing significant assessment and changes are looming.
Among the Sixers’ senior executives, there is still a strong desire to keep the franchise’s two young All-Stars – Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons – together, sources said. The Sixers are determined to let a new coaching staff look for ways to maximize Embiid and Simmons playing together before they even get into a discussion of trading scenarios.
Brand met Brown on Sunday night in Orlando, Fla., And conducted exit talks with the players before returning to Philadelphia on Monday afternoon after the Boston Celtics completed a four-game sweep in the first-round series of the Eastern Conference. It was the 76ers ‘third consecutive playoff appearance under Brown, but Simmons’ loss in standings to knee injury and surgery was a big blow to their playoff chances. .
Brown is still owed several million dollars over the remainder of his contract.
“I have great respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he has done for the 76ers organization and the City of Philadelphia,” Brand said in a statement. “He’s done a lot of positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three consecutive playoff appearances.
“Unfortunately we haven’t hit our targets this year and I think it’s best to move in a new direction. This will be an important offseason for us as we look to get back on track towards our goal. to compete for an NBA championship. “
The Sixers’ plan for a head coach will focus on LA Clippers assistant Ty Lue, sources said. Lue won a championship in 2016 as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his ability to challenge and command respect from top players makes him attractive to the Sixers – and others – in this job market. .
Another potential candidate the Sixers should gauge interest in, sources said: Jay Wright, two-time Villanova National Championship coach.
The search is expected to expand beyond these two candidates, but Lue fits the profile of an extremely limited pool of candidates with playoff and league experience who have been successful in coaching top stars.
Brown is a highly respected figure inside and outside the organization and is credited with guiding the franchise through the obscurity of “The Process” and ultimately into the contention of the playoffs. the Eastern Conference. After seven seasons on the job, there was a feeling the organization had gone as far as possible with Brown – a move he privately expected his superiors to reach a deep playoff series, sources said.
“In 2013, I was hired to lead one of the most spectacular reconstructions in the history of professional sports,” Brown said in a statement. “Over the past seven years our players and coaches have evolved and grown, and I am deeply grateful for the 102 players I have coached.”
Brown also thanked the ownership group, former GM Sam Hinkie and Brand before wishing the franchise the best of luck in its “pursuit of an NBA championship.”
The Sixers reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2019, losing to a batsman in the bell in Game 7 in overtime to eventual NBA champion the Toronto Raptors.
The 76ers have made dramatic changes to the roster over the past two years – including acquiring and then transferring All-Star Jimmy Butler to Miami – and have a luxury salary and tax bill that is expected to be among the highest in league history for 2020-2021.
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