Nate McMillan Front-Runner To Coach Pistons?

7:53pm: McMillan also tells The Plain Dealer that the Cavs have not spoken to him about their opening.

7:35pm: McMillan tells Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune that neither he nor agent Lonnie Cooper has had contact with an NBA team about its coaching position (Twitter link).

6:55pm: Sources tell Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News that Nate McMillan has emerged as the frontrunner for the Pistons head coaching vacancy. The Pistons are seeking a proven coach, and it seems McMillan, whose record in 478-452 with the Blazers and Sonics, fits the bill for them. Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News heard last week that McMillan was a potential candidate.

McMillan has apparently expressed interest in the Cavs head coaching job as well, and he's been expected to interview for the Sixers opening. McMillan said in March that he's "definitely looking to get back into coaching" and expressed interest in coaching the Kings if they moved to Seattle and parted ways with Keith Smart. McMillan's name came up when the Nets and Lakers changed coaches in the middle of this past season. He interviewed with the Bobcats last summer.

The 48-year-old former point guard last coached in the NBA with the Blazers, who fired him at the trade deadline in March 2012. He's coached parts of 12 seasons in the NBA, but has only once taken a team past the first round of the playoffs, with the Sonics in 2004/05. He was an assistant coach on Team USA's Olympic squads in 2008 and 2012, both of which won gold medals.

View Comments (0)