Nate McMillan's time is up in Atlanta.
The Hawks made the decision to part ways with McMillan on Tuesday, bringing to an end his nearly two year tenure as the team's head coach.
“I would like to thank Nate for his leadership and professionalism during his time with the Hawks," GM Landry Fields said in a statement. "He is truly a class act, and we appreciate the graciousness and work ethic he brought with him every day. Decisions like these, especially in-season, are always extremely difficult, but we believe it’s in the best interest of our team to move forward with another voice leading the way.”
MORE: Why did the Hawks fire Nate McMillan?
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, assistant coach Joe Prunty is expected to take over as interim head coach. However, the hunt for a new long-term leader is already underway.
Who will replace Nate McMillan as Hawks head coach?
Thursday, Feb. 23
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Thursday the Hawks are "zeroing in" on Quin Snyder as their new head coach.
Hawks zeroing in on potential hiring of Quin Snyder as Atlanta's new head coach, sources say. More: pic.twitter.com/JWpCHruFUi
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 23, 2023
According to Charania, Atlanta and the former Jazz coach have held "formal discussions" about the vacant position, including a virtual meeting on Wednesday. There is reportedly interest from both sides in reaching an agreement.
Snyder appeals to the Hawks because of his track record of building a culture. During his time in Utah, he turned the Jazz from a perennial bottom-feeder into one of the Western Conference's toughest teams. If he takes the Hawks' job, he'll link up with young stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray as they try to establish the team as a contender.
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Wojnarowski reports there are three main traits the Hawks are looking for in McMillan's successor: player development, accountability and improving the team on both sides of the ball.
The Hawks are starting a search for a new head coach immediately, sources tell ESPN. Among the top characteristics in the search: player development, accountability and getting Hawks offense and defense into league's Top 10.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 21, 2023
Atlanta is currently ranked 16th in offensive rating and 21st in defensive rating in the NBA, according to the league's official website.
While the team is planning "a wide-ranging search," three names have popped up as early favorites for the vacant job: Quin Snyder, Charles Lee and Kenny Atkinson.
MORE: Who is Joe Prunty? What to know about interim Hawks coach replacing fired Nate McMillan
Quin Snyder
Snyder spent eight years as head coach of the Jazz from 2014-22. He helped transform Utah from a perennial underachiever into one of the Western Conference's best teams, culminating in a league-leading 52-20 record in the 2020-21 season.
He is known as primarily an offensive mind, and he certainly has a record of developing players into stars. Under his guidance, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert both became All-Stars for the first time, while Jordan Clarkson won Sixth Man of the Year in 2021. The prospect of Snyder and Trae Young teaming up is one that will excite Hawks fans.
However, he's been out of the NBA since he resigned as Jazz head coach in June 2022. If there's one knock on Snyder, it's that Utah never experienced much playoff success under his watch. In fact, they never made it past the Western Conference Semifinals.
With that said, he has certainly shown he knows how to build a young team into a contender.
Charles Lee
The Bucks assistant has been a finalist for several head coaching jobs in recent years, and it looks like he'll be under consideration once again for a vacant position.
Hawks fans will already be somewhat familiar with Lee given that he served as an assistant coach under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta for four years between 2014-2018. He followed Budenholzer to Milwaukee and has been there ever since.
He is known as an excellent "players' coach" and has helped aid in the development of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo along with fellow Bucks stars Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. At the age of just 38, Lee is one of the league's most exciting young coaches and could finally be ready to make the step up to main man in Atlanta.
Kenny Atkinson
The third and final name included in Wojnarowski's report is Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, who has experience as an NBA head coach after spending more than three years at the helm of the Nets between 2016 and 2020.
He guided Brooklyn from the league's worst record (20-62) in his first season to a playoff berth and a 6th place finish in the Eastern Conference just two years later. He ultimately stepped down in March 2020, handing the reigns over to the team's current head coach, Jacque Vaughn.
Since leaving Brooklyn, he has spent time as an assistant coach with the Clippers under Ty Lue and most recently as an assistant coach with the Warriors under Steve Kerr, where he remains today.
He was reportedly offered the head coach position for the Hornets this offseason, but he turned it down to stay in the Bay Area. Perhaps he's waiting for the right opportunity to get back into the head coaching world. We'll see if Atlanta could fit that bill.
Ime Udoka
NBA insider Mar Stein reported former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is one of the candidates considered for the open spot.
Udoka was the head coach of the Celtics in the 2021-22 season after replacing Brad Stephens, who was promoted to president of basketball operations for the team. In his lone season as Boston's head coach, Udoka led the team to a 51-31 record and to the 2022 NBA Finals, where the Celtics lost in six games to the Warriors.
After the season, Udoka was suspended for the entire season for reportedly having an "improper consensual relationship with a female member of the team staff, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. He was later accused by the staffer of "making unwanted comments toward her." Interim coach Joe Mazzulla was officially named the full-time head coach in Boston, ending any possibility of a return for Udoka.
Udoka was in consideration for the Nets' head coaching vacancy, but Jacque Vaughn wound up becoming the choice to replace Steve Nash in Brooklyn.
Before Udoka's time as the head coach of the Celtics, Udoka had spent time as an assistant coach with the Spurs (2012-19), 76ers (2019-20) and Nets (2020-21). He won a title with the Spurs in 2014.
