The Philadelphia 76ers have a bit of stability going for them entering the upcoming 2025-26 season. That is because the roster is largely the same, for better or for worse, and the coaching staff remains intact with Nick Nurse still the one with the task of manning the sidelines and being the voice of reason for the team.
Yet there is no reason for the 76ers to peg any person involved with the team on a day-to-day basis as being untouchable. After their poignant turnout last season, the front office should be amenable to the prospect of changing the parts constituting the team, and as opportunities start presenting themselves, decisions will have to be made.
And the possibility of change likewise includes the coaching staff, starting with Nick Nurse. The champion head coach still has the full support of Daryl Morey and the front office, but he will undeniably be on the hot seat the moment the 76ers start flopping next season. That is pretty much an imperative at this point.
But having said that, there is a more specific — and therefore more valid — reason to put him at the mercy of the hammer. If Nurse resorts to the same broken formula that derailed the team in the last couple of years, he should be on his way out as soon as possible.
The 76ers should fire Nick Nurse if he commits this same mistake
Head coaches who have won championships are often known for sticking to what’s proven (except for maybe Gregg Popovich who reinvented his system multiple times). That is most certainly the case with Nurse, who is still on-brand with his aggressive defense and spread-out offense.
But another motif of his team-building design is his reliance on veteran commodities, especially when he was in Toronto where he won a championship. He brought that to Philly, but the results speak for themselves.
To cut to the chase, the 76ers have a handful of veterans who are already on their last wind in the league, yet for some reason, Nurse has embraced them as part of the regular rotation. That simply cannot happen next season.
Between Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Kyle Lowry, Nurse will have a lot of temptation to resort to any of those players in a pinch. That would be just fine, if only this team isn’t trying to build for the future as well while maximizing their chances in the present.
Save for emergency purposes, Nurse should not indulge himself by going back to his not-so-old ways and favoring his aging players at the expense of the young guns on the roster. The Philadelphia 76ers are not in the business of being a retirement home, and if Nurse himself wants to cater to old souls, the front office should perhaps retire him as well.