NBA GMs Assess Sam Cassell's Head Coaching Hopes

Rob Greene | Oct 8, 2024

Feb 3, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors beat the Clippers 121-103. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images / Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images

The NBA GM Survey was released for the 2024-25 season, featuring their annual 50 questions asked about executive’s rankings of players and teams.

As expected, the Boston Celtics are prominently featured in many of the categories.

The team was voted to become champions again in 2025 by a wide margin of 83 percent to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 13. Boston is also expected to be the league’s best offensive and defensive team by a lot.

The league's general managers voted the Celtics as a candidate for the most fun team to watch, Jayson Tatum was deemed the best small forward in the Association and one of the NBA's most versatile players.

Jrue Holiday was voted the best perimeter defender and tied with Bam Adebayo and Rudy Gobert for the game’s second-best defender. GMs also cited him as one of the most versatile players, especially at the defensive end of the floor, and one of the best leaders in the league. 

Joe Mazzulla got some votes for his motivation and offensive prowess, Jaylen Brown received votes for MVP, and the list goes on for the Celtics.

One of the most eye-catching votes received was for Sam Cassell, who now serves as Boston’s lead assistant coach. Cassell was voted first for best assistant in the NBA.

Cassell, turning 55 in November, has voiced a desire to soon become a head coach. Multiple teams have shown interest in him being their head coach in recent years. That includes the Lakers meeting with him this summer. Granted, JJ Redick was always the front-runner for that job.

During his playing career, Cassell was a champion with the Celtics under Doc Rivers in 2008. The former later became an assistant for Rivers with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. Cassell made his return to Boston as a coach going into their championship campaign in one of the Celtics first moves last offseason ahead of their roster transformation.

Now a two-time champ, Cassell becomes Boston’s lead assistant with the departure of Charles Lee, who is now the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.

At No. 1 in last season’s best assistants in the 2023-24 GM survey was Jordi Fernandez, who is now the head coach of the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets. That bodes well for the prospect of Cassell taking the helm as a franchise’s bench boss.