5 potential replacements for Steve Clifford as Magic head coach

4. David Vanterpool

David Vanterpool won’t be returning to the frozen tundra as associate coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, which means it’s time to get this man the head coaching gig he deserves. There’s a reason Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and every other former player of his tweets out their disappointment each time a new head coaching vacancy is filled by someone who isn’t named Vanterpool: He’s long overdue for his shot at a head coaching job.

In Minnesota, Vanterpool was immediately passed up in the wake of Ryan Saunders’ firing by Chris Finch, an assistant from the Toronto Raptors. Finch may prove to be deserving of his own opportunity, but it left Vanterpool’s long-term future in Minnesota up in the air.

Lillard and McCollum — one of the NBA’s best backcourts — have credited Vanterpool with their development and teaching Dame leadership skills during his time with the Blazers. While the Magic don’t exactly have any current players in that same echelon, hiring a coach with plenty of developmental experience would be a huge asset.

Vanterpool may have been passed over by the Wolves (and several other teams who have interviewed him in the past), but Orlando should strongly consider giving him a shot with a full-scale, long-term rebuild in mind — especially since he’d be a logical candidate for the Blazers job, which means the Magic should go for him or any candidate they want as soon as possible.