Nick Nurse Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Yabusele, Butler, Nurse, Injury Report

March 18th, 2025 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Quentin Grimes, a trade deadline acquisition, continues to shine for the Sixers. The combo guard — a restricted free agent after this season — erupted for a career-high 46 points against the Rockets in an overtime loss on Monday. Grimes, who also finished with a career-best 13 rebounds, has scored 30 or more points in five separate games since coming to Philadelphia.

“It’s cool,” Grimes told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “But I had a costly turnover that cost us the game late in the fourth. I have to be better in those situations, probably on the ball, try to get fouled. It’s cool and all, but we probably should have just ended the game, ended it with a win.”

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While they have been decimated by injuries, big man Guerschon Yabusele has continued to play despite battling knee soreness. Yabusele sat out Monday’s game, but he’s appeared in 62 of 68 games and has served as a few of the few constants in Philadelphia this season. “That’s just who I am,” he told Pompey. “I always try to keep playing no matter what. You know that’s just me. I just want to compete. I want to be out there and help the guys. I hate just being on the bench and looking at the guys over there, struggling or losing. It’s something I don’t like to be a part of.” Yabusele has some extra incentive to stay on the court — he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
The Sixers had only nine players available on Monday, yet nearly knocked off one of the better teams in the Western Conference. “I think it’s just outside of our nature to go out there and try to lose,” guard Jared Butler said, per Pompey. ”I can’t see myself playing like that in any kind of way.”
While some fans might be unhappy with head coach Nick Nurse, he shouldn’t be the scapegoat for the team’s dismal season, Pompey argues. Nurse has been forced to juggle the rotation throughout the season due to the rash of injuries, using 44 different starting lineups, Pompey points out.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Thunder due to a sprained right knee, Pompey tweets. Yabusele is questionable, while Tyrese Maxey, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona, Kyle Lowry and Lonnie Walker remain out.
In case you missed it, Paul George has been ruled out for the season. Get the details here.

Atlantic Notes: Shamet, Nurse, Tatum, Fernandez

March 13th, 2025 at 9:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

Landry Shamet dislocated his shoulder during the preseason and could have opted for season-ending surgery. The Knicks guard instead chose to rehab the injury and so far, that decision is paying dividends, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes.

Shamet was waived in October, then re-signed with the club in December. The veteran guard is currently getting steady minutes due to injuries and scored a season-high 13 points against Sacramento on Monday.

“Yeah, knock on wood. I’m in a good spot,” Shamet said. “I attacked the rehab, took it very seriously. Frankly, that’s not much of a thought I have. I feel good, I’m in a good spot.”

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Sixers head coach Nick Nurse came to dread reports from his medical staff as the team’s once-promising season disintegrated, he told Michael Grange of Sportsnet. “It was really, really difficult at times,” Nurse said. “What made it most difficult is when you’d actually go on a run and think you’re making some progress, and then you get hit again (with another injury). I remember having one really good win, I can’t remember who it was against, and after the game — I always get a report from the medical team — and he came in and I was like, ‘Please just let me get to the next game, we just played really good.’ And he’s like, ‘Uh, I don’t know what to tell you.’ You kept thinking you were going to get these guys back… and guys kept going down.”
In the Celtics‘ six-point loss to the Thunder on Wednesday, Oklahoma City shot 35 free throws while the Celtics only had 12 attempts. “Yeah, it’s tough,” Jayson Tatum said Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “You’re not going to keep them off the line. They’re very intentional about that, and they have been all season. You’re not going to be the first team where they shoot five free throws or something crazy like that. But there is a balance between that and 35 free throws. Granted, some of them were fouls. Some of them we’ve got to be better at. But I’m not saying that’s why we lost or that’s the ref’s fault or anything like that. That’s how it’s going to be in the playoffs.”
Nets first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez is drawing high praise from opposing coaches as well as his current and former players. Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com examines why Fernandez has made such a strong impression.

Embiid Undergoes Imaging, No Decision On Season Status

February 24th, 2025 at 5:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Amid speculation that Joel Embiid will be shut down for the season due to persistent knee issues, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said no decision had been made on Embiid’s status beyond Monday’s game against Chicago.

“Not at that point at all,” Nurse said in his pregame press conference, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. “Just again we are playing and testing and trying to figure it out and go from there.”

Embiid had new imaging done on his troublesome left knee on Monday, Bontemps reports. There will be discussions on Tuesday to determine what the next steps will be.

“There’s still further testing tonight even yet today and continuing tomorrow, and that’s where we are,” Nurse said.

Embiid was at Monday’s shootaround and had been listed as questionable due to left knee injury management before the tests were conducted. He was later ruled out against the Bulls.

The seven-time All-Star has only played 19 games this season, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals per night. Without All-Star production from Embiid, the Sixers have floundered. They had lost seven straight heading into Monday’s contest and are in danger of missing the postseason.

Embiid expressed his frustration over his continuing knee soreness on Thursday, saying, “The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now. It sucks. … I probably need to fix the problem, and then I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have trust when you’re not yourself.”

In a subscriber-only story, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com takes an in-depth look at whether Embiid’s knee problem can truly be fixed to allow him to play at an All-Star level again. It’s an enormous concern for the organization, as the former MVP signed a three-year max extension in September that carries through the 2028/29 season.

Sixers Haven’t Considered Making Coaching Change

January 31st, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last spring and have been one of the NBA’s most disappointing teams so far in 2024/25, but they haven’t given any consideration to making a head coaching change, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to Fischer, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey “remain aligned” on how to navigate the team’s injury-plagued season.

Former MVP Joel Embiid has been limited to 13 appearances in 2024/25, while offseason free agent addition Paul George has missed 17 games and standout rookie Jared McCain suffered a season-ending knee injury in December. Tyrese Maxey, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Kyle Lowry, and KJ Martin are among the other Sixers players who have missed time due to various ailments, forcing Nurse to use 28 different starting lineups through 47 games.

Fischer adds that key figures in the organization were encouraged by the way the team competed during its recent four-game winning streak, which came to an end on Friday with a tight 137-134 loss to Denver. Embiid didn’t play in any of those four victories, while George was inactive for two of them.

Doc Rivers‘ hiring as Philadelphia’s head coach during the 2020 offseason predated Morey’s arrival in the front office by about a month, so Nurse was the first coach Morey hired during his tenure in the club’s front office.

The former Raptors head coach took over for Rivers in the spring of 2023, leading the Sixers to a 47-35 record last season and a 66-63 (.516) overall regular season mark through his first year and a half with the organization.

Sixers Not Considering Replacing Nick Nurse, Daryl Morey

November 19th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite their NBA-worst 2-11 record, the Sixers haven’t had any internal discussions about the possibility of replacing head coach Nick Nurse or president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, multiple sources tell Sam Amick, David Aldridge, and Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

Nurse, who won a title with the Raptors in 2019, was hired by Philadelphia during the 2023 offseason to replace Doc Rivers. He led the team to a 47-35 regular season record last season, which was only good for a play-in spot. The 76ers ultimately secured the No. 7 seed and fell in the first round of the playoffs to the No. 2 Knicks.

The slow start this fall has dropped Nurse’s overall regular season record with the team to 49-46 (.516).

Morey was named the Sixers’ president of basketball operations in November 2020. The club has won at least 47 games in every season since then, but has never advanced beyond the second round of the postseason.

Morey essentially reset the roster this past offseason around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, but injuries have limited the availability of Philadelphia’s stars – Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George – and the new-look supporting cast has struggled.

The expectation going forward, Amick, Aldridge, and Weiss say, is that everyone in the organization, including Nurse and Morey, will “take a look in the mirror and see what role they have in making the team better.”

The Athletic’s story also corroborates many of the details about Monday’s team meeting reported earlier today by Shams Charania of ESPN, including Maxey calling out Embiid for being consistently late to team activities.

Team and league sources tell The Athletic that Maxey stressed the need for Embiid to set a better example as the Sixers’ leader, given his importance to the program, essentially telling the former MVP, “Joel, you know I love you. But it starts with you, and your habits.” Embiid “mostly agreed” with Maxey’s message, per Amick, Aldridge, and Weiss.

While that discussion between Maxey and Embiid was an important aspect of the meeting, there was also a focus on holding the rest of the roster accountable, according to The Athletic’s trio. The contributions from rookie Jared McCain have been a pleasant surprise during the season’s first month, but many of the team’s other role players – including offseason veteran additions like Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson – have been ineffective.

Sixers Held Team Meeting Following Monday’s Loss

November 19th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

After falling to 2-11 with a 106-89 loss in Miami on Monday, the Sixers held a post-game team meeting, head coach Nick Nurse admitted to reporters, including Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Nurse and the Sixers weren’t available to speak to the media until more than an hour after the game ended.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry initiated the meeting, which sources described to ESPN as a “much-needed heart-to-heart and a call to action and urgency.” Nurse referred to the meeting as player- and coach-driven and Charania’s report states that both players and coaches “held each other accountable” and took responsibility for the 76ers’ poor start this fall.

Fifth-year guard Tyrese Maxey – whose leadership is highly valued within the organization, per Charania – called out star center Joel Embiid during the meeting, sources tell ESPN. Maxey reportedly challenged Embiid to make an effort to show up on time for team activities, suggesting that the big man’s tendency to be late “for everything” has a negative ripple effect on the rest of the locker room.

“Tyrese loves Big Fella’, but this is the elephant in the room,” a source told Charania, who says Maxey and Embiid are close friends and are comfortable holding one another accountable.

Here’s more on the Sixers and Monday’s post-game meeting:

While Embiid was accepting of the messages conveyed to him in the meeting, sources tell Charania that the former MVP is sometimes confused about what the 76ers are attempting to execute on the court.
Sixers players told Nurse that they want to be coached harder, while the coaches indicated to the players that they want them to practice with more “purpose and attention to detail,” Charania writes.
Sources tell ESPN that Maxey, who has been out since November 6 due to a hamstring strain, is expected to return to action at some point this week — that will likely happen on Wednesday (in Memphis) or Friday (vs. Brooklyn). Assuming Embiid and Paul George are available, Maxey’s return will mark the first time that Philadelphia’s new “big three” have played together this season.
Embiid, who played through an illness on Monday after initially being listed as doubtful, had expressed coming into this season that his goal was to “empower” his teammates rather than looking to dominate games himself. However, he admitted after Monday’s loss that he may need to be more assertive, given the early-season hole the team has dug itself. “The next couple games, I’m probably going to try to be more aggressive, as far as doing more,” Embiid said, per Mizell. “… It’s all about finding the right balance of it: when to be aggressive, when to set up guys, and when to let everybody do their thing.”

Sixers Fined $100K For Statements About Embiid

October 29th, 2024 at 4:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have been fined $100K by the NBA for violating league rules, including its player participation policy, according to a press release.

Philadelphia had been the subject of a league investigation after holding Joel Embiid out of games during the first week of the season for what the team dubbed “left knee injury management.”

According to today’s announcement from the NBA, the 76ers weren’t fined for resting Embiid, but for public statements that club representatives – including general manager Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse – made about his status.

Nurse told reporters last week that Embiid hadn’t suffered any setbacks after injuring his left knee last season and suggested that the star center’s absence during the first few days of the season was part of the team’s plan for managing his workload.

“The league’s investigation also confirmed that Embiid has been unable to play in the 76ers’ regular season games this season due to a left knee condition, and therefore his games missed have not violated the Player Participation Policy,” the NBA’s statement reads.

While a team is considered to have violated the player participation policy and is subject to a fine for holding a healthy player out of nationally televised game (like last Wednesday’s Sixers/Bucks contest), a team can also be fined for inconsistent statements that don’t accurately represent a player’s health. The NBA made this ruling based on the latter rule, not the former.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, a $100K fine is the standard for an initial violation of the player participation policy. Those fines would escalate for subsequent violations, beginning with a $250K penalty for the second strike.

Sixers Notes: Gordon, Martin, Embiid, George, Nurse

October 29th, 2024 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyrese Maxey led the way in the Sixers‘ overtime win over Indiana on Sunday, with a game-high 45 points in his 48 minutes of action. But the team likely wouldn’t have gotten its first victory of the season if not for a pair of offseason additions, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who highlights the contributions of Eric Gordon and Caleb Martin.

Gordon scored 15 points and was a plus-17 in 32 minutes off the bench, while Martin had a double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds) in 37 minutes.

Joel Embiid and Paul George will be back in the 76ers’ lineup at some point, but it won’t happen on Wednesday vs. Detroit. As Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports tweets, while the two stars participated in portions of practice on Tuesday, they’ve been ruled out for tomorrow’s game and will be reevaluated again later this week.

With or without those stars healthy, the club will need major contributions from its role players, Pompey writes. Sunday’s win showed what that could look like, and Gordon is confident that Philadelphia’s supporting cast will only improve as the season progresses.

“We are going to continue to get better,” Gordon said. “This is the worst, you know? You can never panic in this league. There’s too many games, an 82-game season. It’s too early. And we’re going to continue to get better and better. We’ve got guys with great attitudes who are wanting to win.”

Here’s more on the Sixers:

No team brought back fewer players from last season’s roster (seven) than the 76ers. That – along with Embiid’s and George’s absences – has created an early-season challenge for head coach Nick Nurse, who is still getting accustomed to his new-look squad and determining the strengths and weaknesses of certain lineups, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’ve got to learn what’s going on with this team,” Nurse said during Sunday’s post-game media session. “… I’m trying to learn what looks good, and what doesn’t.”
Embiid hasn’t suited up for a game yet this fall, but he’s already been hit with his first technical foul of the season. According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), the league announced on Monday that Embiid was assessed a technical for waving a towel on the bench while Andrew Nembhard was shooting free throws on Sunday.
Patrick McCaw, Marcus Bagley, and Isaiah Mobley are among the notable names on the training camp roster announced on Monday (via Twitter) by the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate. McCaw won three NBA championships with Golden State and Toronto during the first three years of his playing career, while Bagley and Mobley are the brothers of established NBA players (Marvin Bagley III and Evan Mobley).

Sixers Notes: Drummond, Embiid, George, Nurse, Lowry, Yabusele

October 25th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Andre Drummond knew he wouldn’t be the full-time starter when he signed with the Sixers this summer, but figured there would be plenty of chances to start given Joel Embiid‘s injury history and the need to have him ready for the playoffs. The first opportunity came Wednesday, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Drummond didn’t find out until Tuesday that Embiid would be sitting out the game, and he responded with 10 points and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes.

“It’s going to be a very fun year,” Drummond said. “I feel I got drafted again, like I’m the new kid on the block, and I get to showcase myself all over again.”

Drummond played a reserve role in Chicago the past two seasons and was one of the most productive backup big men in the league. He has experience playing behind Embiid, spending 49 games with Philadelphia during the 2021/22 season.

“We already know, once [Embiid] comes back, what type of offense we’re going to play,” Drummond said. “But we’ve got to have a difference between he and I when we’re out there, different styles of play. … Obviously, when [Embiid is] healthy, we need him the entire year. But being able to step up whenever he does have those moments of rest and needs to sit out, knowing that there won’t be any drop-off.”

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Embiid and Paul George will miss at least the first three games of the season, but coach Nick Nurse remains optimistic about their progress, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. They were limited participants in Thursday’s practice, although neither of them scrimmaged, which the team would prefer to see before clearing them to play. “I think they are improving and making strides,” Nurse said. “They were in all of the beginning basic stuff and some kind of live-ish drills. The half-court for a little bit as well. So it looked like they are progressing.”
Tonight will mark Nurse’s third trip to Toronto since taking over the Sixers, and he told Pompey that it’s still a special experience to return to the city where he coached for 10 years. “It’s probably one of the more interesting stops along the season for me, for sure,” Nurse said. “I’ve got to go try to figure out how to win a game.”
Toronto is also a significant spot for Kyle Lowry, who was one of the city’s most beloved players during his nine seasons with the Raptors. He told Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) that it would mean “the world” to him to someday have his number retired in Toronto.
Guerschon Yabusele, who signed with Philadelphia this summer after spending five years overseas, doesn’t believe there’s a gigantic gap between the NBA and the EuroLeague, relays Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “It is too early to say because I have only played one game, but I always say that some of the best EuroLeague teams can compete with some NBA teams, for sure,” Yabusele said. “I am not saying the best teams [in the NBA]. … They are two different leagues. Being able to play for Real Madrid for three years and competing in those arenas against other teams and players, I gained a lot of experience. And feeling how it is on the court playing against tough teams helped a lot.”

Sixers Notes: Jackson, Martin, Embiid, Gold Medalist

August 10th, 2024 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Reggie Jackson didn’t have any concerns about joining a Sixers roster that already has plenty of point guards, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Jackson signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia in late July, shortly after agreeing to a buyout with Charlotte, making him the latest lead guard on a team with Tyrese Maxey, Kyle Lowry, first-round pick Jared McCain and two-way player Jeff Dowtin. Jackson has confidence that coach Nick Nurse will find playing time for everyone.

“Since he was with the Raptors and became a head coach, kind of seeing how his team played, it was very interesting,” Jackson said. “Obviously, they played Lowry and [point guard] Fred VanVleet … how well they played together. They played long lineups where you had [forwards] Kawhi [Leonard], you had Pascal [Siakam], you had [Chris] Boucher. Shoot, he played [post players] Serge [Ibaka] and [Marc] Gasol at times together.”

Jackson is eager to see what Nurse can unlock in his game as he gets ready to join his sixth NBA team. He adds that he’s not bothered by the instability of being traded and then waived during the offseason.

“My circle always keeps me grounded. Just the love of the game of all facets and being able to be a military kid,” Jackson said of growing up with a father who was an Air Force officer. “Being a military kid prepared me for this life. Always moving around, always trying to figure it out, find ways to acclimate yourself to a new situation. Just trying to find a way to be effective.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

Caleb Martin grew up in North Carolina, but he feels like he can identify with the work ethic in Philadelphia, Pompey adds in a separate story. The 28-year-old forward could be in contention for a starting spot after leaving Miami to join the Sixers in free agency. “The feel you get from the fans is just kind of hard-nosed, blue-collar, scrappy, do-whatever-you-can [attitude], and that’s what this kind of crowd and environment feeds off of,” Martin said. “And I think I’m that type of player that can definitely get the crowd going and make plays like that and try to make as many plays as I can and just embrace everything that comes with it. So I’m excited.”
After being criticized early in his Olympics experience, Joel Embiid came through when Team USA needed him the most, notes Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid was part of a fourth quarter comeback against Serbia in the semifinals, helping to erase an eight-point deficit when he returned to the game with 7:19 remaining. Sielski sees it as an indication that Embiid may someday be able to lead the Sixers to playoff success.
Embiid has become the first American to win an Olympic gold medal while playing for the Sixers, Pompey tweets. The closest had been Andre Iguodala, who was traded to Denver during the 2012 Olympics, and Charles Barkley, who was sent to Phoenix two months prior to the 1992 Games.