Sam Cassell Joining Joe Mazzulla’s Coaching Staff With Celtics

The Sixers fired Doc Rivers at the end of the season, hiring former Raptors coach Nick Nurse and presumably leaving Cassell in professional limbo — until now.

Cassell, 53, won two championships as a point guard with the Rockets in the mid-1990s. He also spent time with the Suns, Bucks, Nets, Mavericks, Timberwolves and Clippers, before retiring with the Celtics in 2009.

He immediately began a career in coaching, and has served stints as an assistant with the Wizards, Clippers (with Rivers) and Sixers.

Cassell has interviewed for multiple head-coaching openings over the past several seasons, including the Rockets’ vacancy this year. That job eventually went to former Celtics coach Ime Udoka.

Mazzulla and the Celtics were eliminated by the Heat in seven games in the Eastern Conference finals.