Like most offseasons, the Philadelphia 76ers will have to make some slight changes ahead of the new basketball season. Although a majority of Doc Rivers' coaching staff will remain the same for next year, the Sixers will be without two members of the developmental staff.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey, Sixers developmental staffer Andrew Jones III will join the Detroit Pistons' organization next season. While Jones wasn't necessarily on Doc Rivers' bench last season, he will essentially get a promotion in Detroit as he'll be considered an assistant coach on Dwane Casey's staff.
Jones isn't the only staffer to leave the Sixers this offseason. In addition to Jones, D.J. MacLeay has also parted ways with Philly, per Pompey. MacLeay, who has spent the last four and a half years as a member of the Sixers' developmental staff, will join the Boston Celtics for next season as a "player enhancement coach."
While losing members of a coaching staff to other jobs is never an ideal scenario, the Sixers should feel good about how this offseason panned out for them so far. Once the 2020-2021 campaign wrapped up, there was a lot of talk about two of Doc Rivers' top assistants potentially landing jobs elsewhere.
Dave Joerger, who was originally linked to the Portland Trail Blazers as Terry Stotts' seat was getting hot, could've potentially landed another head coaching job for the third time in his career. However, Joerger wasn't considered a finalist for the job, and the Blazers eventually hired Los Angeles assistant Chauncey Billups.
Along with Joerger, the Sixers were also worried they might lose Sam Cassell. As Cassell drew interest from the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards, it seemed almost inevitable the former player-turned-assistant would land his first head coaching job elsewhere this year.
But both teams opted to hire somebody else. At this point, it seems there's hardly any chance Cassell gets a promotion elsewhere. Therefore, Rivers will keep one of his brightest assistants beside him for at least another go-round.
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