The Indiana Pacers announced on Wednesday that they have fired head coach Nate McMillan, and they may already have a replacement in mind.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers plan to target Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni if he becomes available. D’Antoni’s contract is set to expire after the season.
McMillan had been the coach of the Pacers since the start of the 2016-17 season. The Pacers were the No. 4 seed for the playoffs after going 6-2 in bubble seeding games, but the Miami Heat swept them in four games in the first round. There was talk earlier in the month that McMillan could be on the hot seat, and Indiana’s poor postseason performance likely sealed his fate.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey has indicated the team plans to re-sign D’Antoni, but there is no extension in place. There are questions about whether or not the 69-year-old will continue to coach beyond this season. Houston is currently in a 2-2 series tie with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
Should the Rockets opt to go in a different direction, we may already know who the leading candidate will be to replace D’Antoni.
If D’Antoni does leave Houston and wants to continue coaching, there will likely be multiple teams interested in him. The Pacers may have to get in line.
