NBA Rumors: Mike D'Antoni To Eventually Replace Doc Rivers At Sixers' Helm

With James Harden's move to Daryl Morey's Philadelphia 76ers, there is a theory "in league coaching circles", according to NBA Insider Marc Stein, that Morey will want to eventually bring in Mike D'Antonio to coach Harden and Sixers, after his offensive success coaching Harden for Morey's Houston Rockets for so many years. Stein writes:

The conspiracy theory already making the rounds in league coaching circles holds that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey will eventually want Mike D’Antoni to take over in the hot seat for Philadelphia’s new Joel Embiid/James Harden tag team after D’Antoni’s offensive creativity helped catapult Harden to three scoring titles in Houston.

Harden became one of the great scorers in the NBA under Mike D'Antonio's system, averaging over 32 points a game during D'Antoni's four years at the helm.

The idea behind the rumor is that if the Sixers don't win it all under Doc Rivers with the new Embiid-Harden tandem, Morey could make the change.

As expected, there are many around the league already dismissing the conspiracy theory, and Stein notes that the job Doc Rivers has done this season under the Ben Simmons cloud even has him in some peripheral discussion for Coach of the Year.

Sorry to interrupt Super Bowl talk:

Checked in on rumor regarding Morey looking to replace Rivers with D’Antoni. Was shot down instantly by multiple team sources, who noted the job Rivers has done this year in strange circumstances in addition to Embiid’s leap under Doc’s watch
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) February 13, 2022