The Indiana Pacers announced on Wednesday that they have relieved head coach Nate McMillan of his coaching duties.
"On behalf of the Simon family and the Pacers organization, I'd like to thank Nate for his years with the team," said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard.
"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 honour to work with him for those 11 years (in Indiana and Portland)."
Official Statement: pic.twitter.com/l9kMqiYEXh
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) August 26, 2020
The news comes as a surprise considering the Pacers and McMillan are only two weeks removed from coming to terms on a one-year extension.
McMillan joined the Pacers in 2013 as an assistant coach under Frank Vogel. McMillan took over as head coach in 2016 when Vogel joined the Orlando Magic after the Pacers decided to not renew his contract.
The Pacers announced that their search for a new coach will begin immediately. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers will target Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni if he becomes available.
The Pacers went 45-28 this season, giving them the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat swept them in the first round of the playoffs, but the Pacers were without All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis, who averaged 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game during the regular season.
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