Two NBA teams with head coaching vacancies have spoken with representatives of Pacers assistant Nate McMillan, sources tell Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The Cavs and the Lakers are the only two teams still without a head coach, so presumably they’re the ones with interest, and Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio confirms that those are indeed the clubs who’ve reached out (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether the teams have spoken with McMillan directly, but Haynes writes that the former Blazers and SuperSonics head man hasn’t interviewed and doesn’t have an interview scheduled.
A report last month made note of Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s affection for McMillan’s coaching ability, but McMillan never emerged as a serious candidate in New York as Jackson preferred to go with an inexperienced coach, hiring Derek Fisher on Tuesday. McMillan also appeared to be on the Warriors short list before they went with Steve Kerr.
Last summer was a busier one for McMillan, who was reportedly a candidate for openings with the Clippers, Nuggets, Pistons, Hawks and Bucks. A long playoff run with the Pacers might have forestalled his chances with other clubs this spring, but now that the 49-year-old is free for the summer, his prospects for landing a head coaching job appear to be looking up. He’s 478-452 in parts of 12 seasons as an NBA bench boss, but he only made it past the first round of the playoffs once, with Seattle in 2005, and those SuperSonics lost in the second round.