Mike D'Antoni Being Considered for 76ers' Associate Head Coach

The Philadelphia 76ers are in talks with former Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni about joining Brett Brown's staff as the team's associate head coach, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

New Sixers chairman Jerry Colangelo, who was hired Monday, has begun the process of changing the culture in Philadelphia by pursuing D'Antoni. The former Coach of the Year last coached in the 2013-14 season as the head of the Los Angeles Lakers and was fired after a 67-87 record over two seasons.

Wojnarowski reported D'Antoni could join the Sixers' staff sometime this month.

"[Mike] D'Antoni is a special interest," Brown said, per Molly French of CSN. "The timing (of the leak) is disturbing because we've been talking about it for a while. Nothing has been agreed to."

Colangelo and D'Antoni have had a successful relationship in the past, as both were instrumental in the Phoenix Suns' success during the mid-to-late 2000s. Colangelo was the owner when D'Antoni was named the team's head coach in 2003. The Suns made the Western Conference Finals twice under D'Antoni, who also coached Steve Nash when he won back-to-back MVP awards.

Brown was awarded a two-year contract extension Friday, despite leading Philadelphia to only one win so far this season and a 38-150 record since he became the Sixers' head coach in 2013. Yahoo Sports' Kelly Dwyer, like most of the basketball world, questioned what the Sixers were doing:

D'Antoni has long been known for his run-and-gun style of play, which could be a much-needed boost for a Sixers team that's averaged 91.0 points per game this year, good for dead last in the NBA. Brown, a Gregg Popovich protege, is still a young head coach, so getting a seasoned coach like D'Antoni on his staff is a good sign for the Sixers.