The Indiana Pacers have fired head coach Nate McMillan following the team being swept by the Miami Heat during the first round of the playoffs.
The firing of McMillan comes following the team re-working the final year of his contract and adding a team option for 2021-2022 earlier this month it what seemed to be a form of an extension.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers will set their sights on Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, who is in the final of year of his contract with Houston, should he become available following the conclusion of the Rockets season.
“On behalf of the Simon family and the Pacers organization, I’d like to thank Nate for his years with the team,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in an official team statement. “This was a very hard decision for us to make; but we feel it’s in the best interest of the organization to move in a different direction. Nate and I have been through the good times and the bad times; and it was an honor to work with him for those 11 years (in Indiana and Portland).”
McMillan had a 183-136 record, including 3-16 in the postseason, during his four seasons at the helm in Indiana, and was well respected around the league, with his team known for their hard work and effort.
