Brett Brown Will Return as 76ers Head Coach Despite Rumors After Loss to Raptors

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown will remain with the team for next season, managing partner Josh Harris told ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The New York Times' Marc Stein had reported Saturday that Brown was likely to be on shaky ground depending on the outcome of the team's NBA playoff series against the Toronto Raptors: "Brown, I'm told, has little chance of surviving a second-round exit."

The Sixers lost 92-90 to the Raptors in Game 7 on Sunday when Kawhi Leonard hit a buzzer-beater from the right corner.

Kawhi Game Winner

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Philadelphia's desire to make changes this offseason is understandable, but a coaching switch isn't one of those needs.

Though Brown should shoulder some of the blame for the Sixers' failure to reach at least the Eastern Conference Finals, they had a number of other problems that were largely out of Brown's control.

Joel Embiid wasn't healthy, as he had lingering tendinitis in his left knee down the stretch of the regular season and into the postseason. Embiid averaged 17.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in the second round, well below his regular-season numbers (27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds).

The two-time All-Star provided an impassioned defense of his coach during an exit interview with reporters.

"I just thought [the rumor] was bulls--t," Embiid said Monday, per The Athletic's Derek Bodner. "He's done a fantastic job. He's been there through everything...I don't think he should have anything to worry about. He's an amazing coach and a better person."

More so than Brown, Philadelphia's front office—members both past and present—was responsible for the disappointing playoff result.

The team acquired Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris during the season, with the Harris trade in particular forcing Brown and the Sixers to adapt on the fly. Unless Brown had a time machine, getting all the pieces to fit ahead of the playoffs was always going to be difficult.

Assuming Butler (player option) and Harris (unrestricted free agent) return this summer, giving Brown one more year makes sense to see if he can guide this team to the NBA Finals with the benefit of a full training camp and preseason.