Report: Pelicans could be going after Scott Skiles, too

By foxsports
Published

All week, it's seemed like a guarantee Scott Skiles would end up coaching the Magic. Now, even though there is a distinct chance that ends up happening, the odds are slipping just a little.

According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic aren't the only coach-less team interested in Skiles' services. You can add the New Orleans Pelicans to that list. From Robbins' report:

The Pels let go of their coach from this past season, Monty Williams, shortly after being swept by the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. 45 wins and a postseason appearance wasn't enough for Williams to keep his job, but apparently Skiles' history has some amount of enticing lure for New Orleans management. 

It's funny that after all these years, there's still some amount of competitive for Skiles' coaching chops. The former Bucks, Bulls and Suns coach has a 443-433 career record and has never made it past the second round of the playoffs.

(H/t to Josh Robins of the Orlando Sentinel.)

Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans could give the Orlando Magic competition for Scott Skiles’ coaching services.

Skiles has interviewed with the Pelicans and joined Alvin Gentry and Jeff Van Gundy as candidates for the Pelicans’ coaching job, ESPN reported late Wednesday night.

Skiles is the clear frontrunner to be offered the Magic’s job.

The Magic typically don’t extend a formal offer to a coaching candidate until after the candidate meets with the team’s owners, the DeVos family.

If Skiles soon meets with the DeVos family and receives an offer from the Magic, he’ll have to weigh whether he wants to remain in the hunt for the Pelicans’ job.

New Orleans' job is attractive because the Pelicans have budding superstar Anthony Davis, the best young player in the NBA. Although many league insiders believe the Magic have drafted well in recent years, the Magic don’t have a player of Davis’ stature. The Pelicans also qualified for the playoffs this past season in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, while the Magic finished the season with the league’s fifth-worst record.