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NBA Rumors: Orlando Magic to hire Scott Skiles as head coach?

By Josh Hill

Apr 10, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) points from the court against the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) points from the court against the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Orlando Magic are close to finding a new head coach, but it might not be the ex-Chicago Bulls head coach you’re thinking of. 

When the Chicago Bulls made it apparent that they could be divorcing Tom Thibodeau this offseason, the Orlando Magic were one of the first teams to begin circling the tank to grab him as soon as he was cut loose.

But the waiting game is not one the Magic are interested in playing for much longer, as they have moved on to another Chicago Bulls head coach as the front runner for their coaching vacancy.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski from Yahoo! Sports, the new front runner for the Orlando Magic job an’t Tom Thibodeau, rather it’s another former Chicago Bulls coach in Scott Skiles.

"Although Orlando has thus far shown no inclination to rush into a hiring, discussions could soon advance into contract negotiations, league sources said."

Scott Skiles is an official ex-Chicago Bulls head coach, whereas Thibodeau is just a spiritual ex-head coach. The Bulls have yet to fire or trade Thibodeau and this latest news out of Orlando seems to indicate that the Magic are uninterested in meeting Chicago’s demands in a Thibs trade.

Skiles has had success in the NBA before with young teams, but it’s not a great track record. He helped get the Bulls back on track for the first time since Phil Jackson in the early 2000s but was ousted in favor of Vinny Del Negro in the latter half of the decade. He was similarly ousted in Milwaukee not long after that, but there’s apparently interest from Orlando in getting Skiles to be the man in charge of rebuilding the franchise.

Of course, could Skiles just be a stepping stone to another coach?

We saw in New Orleans that Monty Williams was basically just the drill sergeant for the Pelicans, as he’s prepared his team to be battle ready but won’t be going to war with them. Skiles isn’t the worst choice on the coaching market, but he’s hardly the sexiest pick and Magic fans might take a while to buy into the idea that this is what the team has been waiting for all season long.

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