Former 76ers Coach Doc Rivers Won’t Join Phoenix Suns

Will Doc Rivers continue coaching following his stint with the Philadelphia 76ers? Currently, his future is unknown.

While it was previously reported that Rivers was open to joining another organization if the right opportunity called, only one team showed interest in the former Sixers head coach.

The Phoenix Suns were among several teams that searched for a new head coach after parting ways with Monty Williams following their playoff run.

As the Suns narrowed down their search to a handful of finalists, Rivers was considered one of them.

However, the Suns have made a decision to hire former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Not long before the Vogel hiring was reported, ESPN’s Marc Spears mentioned that Doc Rivers pulled his name from the Suns’ head coach search.

Former NBA head coach Doc Rivers has pulled his name from the Phoenix Suns head coach search, a source told @andscape.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 2, 2023

Several teams wrapped up their search for a new head coach over the past week, including the 76ers. The Milwaukee Bucks decided to agree to terms on a deal with Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin. Then, the Sixers officially hired Nick Nurse.

Although Monty Williams was rumored to take a season off following his time with the Suns, Williams landed a significant contract to join the Detroit Pistons.

With Vogel set to join Phoenix, that leaves the Toronto Raptors as the last team standing in the head coaching market.

Considering Rivers has not been mentioned in the Raptors’ search, it seems the former Sixers head coach will either take a year off or search for another position with an organization.