After three seasons as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Doc Rivers has been fired. The Sixers will be moving on from the veteran head coach after three years of disappointment in the playoffs.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news following the Sixers' loss in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs. They blew a 3-2 lead to the Boston Celtics with an embarrassing performance in Game 7. Joel Embiid recently said that Rivers did a “fantastic job” and that they have a great relationship.

Doc Rivers, who signed a five-year contract when he was originally hired in 2020, said that he wanted to remain the head coach of the Sixers following yet another playoff failure. In the end, the front office decided to go in a new direction. During his time with the Sixers, Rivers posted a 154-82 record in the regular season. Philly's track record of losing in the second round didn't change under Rivers' stewardship.

James Harden, who is set to hit free agency, was not as enthusiastic when asked about Rivers after losing to the Celtics, saying that their relationship was “okay” before reports came in that he was done playing for him. Harden became more of a floor general than a balanced scoring-playmaking threat in his first full season with Rivers. His pick-and-roll-partnership with Embiid gave Philly a solid offensive identity that ultimately fell apart against the Celtics.

While firing Rivers gives the Sixers the chance to improve, it can't be the only major move. Daryl Morey and the front office has to figure out what to do with Harden and improve the supporting cast around Embiid.