3 head coach candidates to keep Donovan Mitchell happy with the Jazz

2. Sam Cassell

Like Terry, Cassell comes with a lengthy resume as a player — he played for eight different teams across 15 seasons, won three titles and played under coaches like George Karl, Rudy Tomjanovich, Flip Saunders and Doc Rivers. Since retiring, Cassell has spent 13 seasons as an assistant for the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and now the Philadelphia 76ers. In those stints, he’s primarily worked under Doc Rivers.

Cassell was talked about as a future head coaching candidate as far back as 2011, and his name has been circling for years. In theory, Cassell brings the same strengths as Terry — high-level playing experience, the ability to connect with players and the mindset of a primary creator — but does so with a lot more experience. However, he’s spent the last eight seasons as an assistant under Rivers and if the Jazz feel like they’re not wild about what he might bring from that school of coaching as an offensive and defensive tactician, he may not be the right choice.