According to Yaron Weitzman, in what is most certainly a pure coincidence, the Philadelphia 76ers have hired Phil Beckner as a coaching consultant. Beckner is a former Weber State assistant coach and the longtime trainer for Portland Trail Blazer’s star, Damian Lillard. This hiring isn’t recent though, with Phil having joined the staff back in July.

Beckner’s job is to help assist the coaching staff in several areas. This won’t be his first time in the NBA, though. Back in 2014/2015, the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G-League team, brought Phil Beckner on to be part of their staff. 

As mentioned above, this hiring is very likely just a coincidence. Damian Lillard has been the primary target of Daryl Morey’s offseason, but it doesn’t look as though Lillard will request a trade this summer. In the meantime, the 76ers have been attempting to shop Ben Simmons, asking for a large sum of players or draft capital in return.

Mandatory Credit: Idaho Press