76ers Rumors: Mike D'Antoni Buzz 'Circulated' Since Harden Trade amid Rivers Firing

The Philadelphia 76ers will embark on a search for a new head coach after firing Doc Rivers on Tuesday, and it appears one former bench boss with ties to James Harden could be a candidate.

Since the Sixers acquired Harden in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets last season, talk of Daryl Morey's "potential interest in a reunion" with Mike D'Antoni has "circulated," according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Morey, Philadelphia's president of basketball operations, served as general manager of the Houston Rockets from 2007 to 2020, and D'Antoni served as head coach of the franchise from 2016 to 2020.

Harden played in Houston from 2012-13 until he was traded to the Nets during the 2020-21 season.

During his four seasons in Houston, D'Antoni led the team to a 217-101 record and four consecutive appearances in the NBA playoffs, including a berth in the Western Conference Finals in 2018.

D'Antoni also served as an assistant for the Nets during the 2020-21 season when Harden was with the franchise.

While the Sixers may be interested in D'Antoni, hiring him as head coach may not be enough to get Harden to stay with the team in 2023-24 and beyond.

Harden can opt out of the final year of his contract with the 76ers worth $35.6 million to become a free agent this summer, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday on Get Up that there's "a very real possibility" the veteran guard will return to Houston this offseason.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne also reported Monday that Harden could leave the Sixers this offseason if Rivers is still the head coach. But with Rivers having been dismissed Tuesday, Harden returning to Philadelphia could be more of a possibility.

Whatever happens, it's clear the 76ers need to make some roster adjustments this summer, with or without Harden, in order to truly compete against teams like the Boston Celtics, who are headed to their second straight Eastern Conference Finals.

Aside from D'Antoni, there are some very respectable coaching candidates in this year's hiring cycle, including former Toronto Raptors bench boss Nick Nurse, former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer and former Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams, who were all fired by their respective clubs following disappointing playoff losses this year.