76ers' Daryl Morey Explains Decision to Hire Nick Nurse

When the Philadelphia 76ers’ run in the 2023 NBA Playoffs came to an end, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers was asked about his future with the team. Under contract, Rivers reminded reporters that he still had two years to go and planned to fulfill his contract as long as the 76ers kept it active.

A couple of days later, Daryl Morey’s proposal to Sixers’ Managing Partners to move on from Rivers was accepted. And the move to part ways with Rivers went into motion.

“I want to say thank you to Coach Rivers, someone I tremendously respect and have worked with for a long time,” Morey said last month. “Like I said yesterday, first ballot Hall of Famer. Led us to advancing in the playoffs multiple times. Just really us, and one other team have even advanced in the playoffs the last couple of years. Winning’s hard, and coach Rivers was a great leader and someone I learned a lot from.”

When Rivers signed on with the Sixers in 2020, the primary goal was for the one-time champion to lead the Sixers past the second round and to the promise land. At the time, the Sixers had wrapped up their third-straight playoff run, where they failed to get beyond the second round.

For the next three seasons, the Sixers clinched a spot in the playoffs. Each time, they made an Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance. Unfortunately, they couldn’t conquer the second round as they fell short in two Game 7 scenarios and lost in six games last season.

“My job is to evaluate everything, and we felt like that was the best move for helping us get to our goals going forward,” Morey said during his exit press conference, discussing the change at head coach. “It was carefully thought out, and I recommended it to ownership, and they accepted it.”

At the time, Morey confirmed the Sixers were looking into six candidates. He mentioned that the team was taking a “careful process” as they targeted prospects such as Mike Budenholzer, Mike D’Antoni, Monty Williams, Sam Cassell, Frank Vogel, and Nick Nurse.

“I sent one message along with our staff, and that’s how do we get ourselves to a championship?” Daryl Morey said on Thursday afternoon. “We’re working tirelessly towards that goal. We’re pretty excited about this first step.”

After launching the search for a new head coach, the Sixers’ careful process ended rather quickly. Perhaps, they got their top candidate in former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

“I spoke about what we’re looking for a couple of weeks ago,” Morey explained. “Obviously a championship pedigree at multiple levels is a big big factor. You know, his creativity. Like I mentioned before, the fact that a partner and how to create results together, I think is a big factor. I think he sort of checks every box. Relationships with players, working with star players, tactics, someone that people in the league want to play for. It's a pretty long list, and we thought he is a pretty special candidate.”

Nurse was a popular name in the head coaching market. He was targeted by the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Phoenix Suns after parting ways with the Raptors. While the Rockets chose Ime Udoka over Nurse, the Bucks, and the Suns reportedly considered Nurse a finalist in their search.

Ultimately, Nurse chose the 76ers.

“My first thought is this team could be playing tonight,” Nurse said, alluding to the NBA Finals. “I think that, along with some others in the Eastern Conference, they probably are wishing they were getting ready to throw the ball up tonight. And that combination of staying healthy, the ball bouncing your way, and figuring out the long grind that it is to go from the start of the playoffs to winning a title. All those things, you know, are very difficult. You gotta be able to do all that stuff.”

“Obviously, we have a lot of work to do from here, but having the chance to add Coach Nurse to the 76ers is, personally, really cool because we’ve had a long-term relationship,” Morey added. “He’s been a championship coach at so many levels. At least five championships at all different spots. He’s done the grind and continues to improve. Including one [championship] that’s really familiar with Sixers fans obviously, beating us in that one series. He’s someone who’s a lifelong learner, always trying to find that next edge. We’re excited to be a partner with him as we work on the roster and into next season.”

It’s unclear how long Nurse is signed on for with the Sixers, as the team did not reveal terms of the contract on Thursday. However, the one thing that is clear is that the goals are aligned — and Nurse and the Sixers have their eyes on winning a championship.