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Adrian Wojnarowski, Senior NBA Insider
The Phoenix Suns are advancing 4 candidates to a closing spherical of interviews this week, together with two NBA championship coaches: Nick Nurse and Doc Rivers, sources advised ESPN on Tuesday evening.
Nurse and Rivers will meet with senior management together with two rising stars within the teaching occupation: Suns affiliate head coach Kevin Younger and Sacramento Kings affiliate head coach Jordi Fernandez, sources mentioned.
Nurse has emerged as a distinguished candidate within the Suns’ and Milwaukee Bucks’ teaching searches, sources mentioned. Nurse is one among three finalists in Milwaukee, together with Golden State affiliate head coach Kenny Atkinson and Toronto assistant Adrian Griffin, sources mentioned. He additionally interviewed with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources mentioned.
The Suns are pursuing a successor to ex-coach Monty Williams, who was fired after the Suns misplaced within the Western Convention semifinals to the eventual convention champion Denver Nuggets. The Suns are pitching a job that features two of the league’s finest gamers, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
Nurse’s 5 seasons as Toronto’s coach included an NBA title in 2019, an NBA Coach of the Yr award in 2020 and a 227-163 (.582) report.
Rivers delivered a 154-82 (.653) report in his three seasons, together with 54 victories in 2022-23 — the franchise’s most since 2000-01. The Sixers had been one among three groups within the high 10 in each offensive and defensive effectivity, based on ESPN Stats & Data analysis. Rivers has had 16 straight profitable seasons as a head coach.
Younger spent eight years teaching within the G League — together with head-coaching jobs with the Utah Flash, Iowa Power and Delaware 87ers — and has been gaining momentum as a head-coaching candidate in openings this 12 months, together with with the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Suns. Younger beforehand interviewed for head-coaching jobs with the Sixers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards in current seasons.
Fernandez was a big a part of Michael Malone’s teaching employees with the Nuggets for six seasons earlier than turning into the affiliate head coach with the Sacramento Kings below NBA Coach of the Yr Mike Brown in 2022. He is a local of Badalona, Spain.