Among a host of other names, the Indiana Pacers are considering former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan as a candidate for their head coaching job.
This comes from Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Former Thunder coach Billy Donovan interviewed for the Pacers last week, sources said. The Pacers are expected to interview a pool of around 12 candidates, trim the candidates approximately in half, and conduct in-person interviews.
Donovan and the Thunder parted ways earlier this month. He wasn't fired, but his contract expired and the two sides mutually agreed not to pursue an extension. He accepted the job in 2015 under the impression that he would be coaching Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but both have since left the team.
The Pacers finished the 2019-20 regular season with a 45-28 overall record under Nate McMillan, resulting in a No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Unfortunately, though, Indiana was swept by the Miami Heat. As a result, McMillan was relieved of his duties, despite the fact that the Pacers had reworked the final year of his contract for 2020-21 and added a team option for 2021-22 in the form of a “soft” extension.
Donovan, who finished third in Coach of the Year voting, is a fine candidate for the Pacers' coaching vacancy. Other teams are said to be interested in his services, including the Sixers and Bulls.
Mike D'Antoni has also been rumored as a hot name for this Pacers gig, and there are clearly a number of other candidates on the list. We'll have to wait and see what Indiana decides.
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