Nate McMillan Frontrunner For Detroit Pistons Head Coaching Job

Although there have been reports suggesting that there were no leading candidates for the Detroit Pistons head coaching vacancy, according to Detroit News, that isn’t the case.

While former assistant coach and current Knicks assistant Darrell Walker is expected to interview for the job, Pistons GM Joe Dumars has expressed that his personal preference is Nate McMillan, who previously coached the Seattle Supersonics and Portland Trail Blazers.

Per the Detroit News:

"Nate McMillan, who has visited with the Pistons front office twice, is believed to be the first choice of Pistons president Joe Dumars."

The Pistons have already interviewed a small handful of candidates, which includes Phoenix Suns interim coach (and former Piston) Lindsey Hunter, Houston Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff and San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer, but none of them appeared to sway Dumars’ preference.

McMillan, in 930 career games has a 478-452 record, good for a .514 winning percentage and has made the NBA playoffs five out of twelve seasons as a head coach.

There were suggestions that McMillan may have been waiting to see if the Sacramento Kings were to relocate to Seattle so he could return to his forming stomping ground, but with that decision looming tomorrow and a return to Seattle looking unlikely, McMillan may be willing to make a decision on his coaching future soon.