76ers’ Key Assistant Sam Cassell Joins Rival Team

Sam Cassell is set to take another job.

With a new head coach in town, the Philadelphia 76ers’ coaching staff continues to change, and it’s not just Doc Rivers who will pack his bags and leave.

On Sunday, a report from The Athletic mentioned that one of the Sixers’ top assistants, Sam Cassell, was set to take a job with one of the team’s Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Celtics.

With Cassell Boston-bound, the Sixers lose their first assistant with the new regime taking over.

Cassell joined the 76ers back in 2020. Following the seven-year Brett Brown era, which ended after a playoff sweep in the first round against the Celtics, the Sixers hired Doc Rivers after considering a handful of key candidates.

After hiring Rivers, Cassell followed the head coach to Philadelphia after he spent the previous six seasons coaching alongside Rivers on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Following Rivers’ third season in Philadelphia, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced that the Sixers would make a change at the head coaching position after they failed to advance past the second round for the third-straight season.

When Rivers was cut loose, the Sixers considered six candidates. Among the prospects of interest to replace Rivers was Sam Cassell. So far, Cassell has yet to pick up a head coaching job in the NBA. Over the years, the player-turned-coach received interest for vacancies in different cities.

This season, Cassell reportedly interviewed for the Houston Rockets vacancy, which ended with the franchise hiring former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. 

And although Cassell was expected to be considered by Philadelphia after the firing of Doc Rivers, the Sixers landed on former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse to take over.

With Rivers set to potentially take a year off after reportedly withdrawing from the Phoenix Suns’ search after being named a finalist, Cassell will take a different path for the first time since he got his start as a Washington Wizards assistant. 

The three-time NBA Champion will join Joe Mazzulla’s staff on the Boston Celtics just one month after the Sixers fell short against them in the Eastern Conference Semifinal round.

During his time in Philadelphia, Cassell built a strong reputation. The assistant has been issued a ton of credit for Tyrese Maxey’s emergence over the years as the former Kentucky standout went from a rookie that was in and out of the rotation to a full-time starter by his sophomore effort.

Cassell also built a strong relationship with the Sixers’ ten-time All-Star guard James Harden throughout the last season and a half. While Cassell was a prospect of interest for the Sixers during the search for a new head coach, his inexperience likely played a part in him not getting the job.

Plus, the former veteran guard was going against some tough competition as the Sixers considered several other prospects who have more experience and have won titles in the position of a head coach already. Cassell’s time will likely come soon — but he’ll land his fourth assistant coaching job before it does.