Report: Nate McMillan, Hawks Nearing Contract to Join Lloyd Pierce's Staff
Former Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan is nearing a deal to join the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant on Lloyd Pierce's staff, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.
McMillan was fired by the Pacers in August after Indiana failed to advance out of the first round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. The 56-year-old went 183-136 during his Pacers tenure while helping develop young stars like Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. Indiana hired former Toronto Raptors assistant Nate Bjorkgren to replace McMillan on October 20.
Pierce, 44, has led the Hawks since 2018 and is working to see through a rebuilding process that's centered on guard Trae Young, forward John Collins, wing Cam Reddish and center Clint Capela. Atlanta also holds the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, giving it another opportunity to land a franchise-changing talent.
Despite winning just 20 games in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, the Hawks may find themselves as one of the more competitive teams in the Southeast Division next season as Young looks to take the next step toward superstardom. McMillan may be able to help get him there.
A 12-year NBA veteran who featured in the Seattle SuperSonics backcourt from 1986-98, McMillan averaged 5.9 points, 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game while earning two NBA All-Defensive second-team honors.
He oversaw the transformation of Victor Oladipo into a perennial All-Star in Indiana and helped Malcolm Brogdon post his best season (16.5 points and 7.1 assists per game) of his career after the guard joined the Pacers last year as a free agent.
McMillan has also previously coached under Paul Westphal in Seattle, Mike Krzyzewski with the U.S. men's national team and current Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel when he led the Pacers before McMillan took over.
Should the deal be completed, Pierce will add a veteran coach to a staff ready to break through in the Eastern Conference.
