Spurs Coaching Rumors: Who has interviewed for outside jobs?

A handful of San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches have interviewed for outside jobs. Let’s round up everything we know.

Gregg Popovich, unless he decides to leave his post this offseason, remains entrenched as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. With leading 21 consecutive teams to the playoffs and five championships on his resume, it makes him one of the NBA’s greatest coaches of all time.

Due to Popovich’s success, it creates attractive job offers for his assistants, some of which have went on to become NBA head coaches. Whether it’s Mike Budenholzer, Mike Brown or Brett Brown, multiple assistants received offers to go elsewhere, some of which won playoff games.

The 2018 offseason has already featured multiple assistants from Popovich’s staff interview for head-coaching gigs. It’s possible one of them even gets hired. Given the dearth of these reports and rumors, let’s round them up:

• Ettore Messina has been linked to the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks openings, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Milwaukee Bucks will interview San Antonio assistant Ettore Messina, former Charlotte coach Steve Clifford and former New Orleans coach Monty Williams in next several days, league sources tell ESPN. Bucks may meet with as many as 10 candidates in first round of interviews.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 4, 2018

• Ime Udoka‘s name was tied to the same Hornets job and the Orlando Magic opening. 
• James Borrego spoke with the Phoenix Suns before they hired Igor Kokoskov. Borrego has since interviewed with the Hornets and the New York Knicks, who hired David Fizdale Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

San Antonio assistant James Borrego is interviewing for the Charlotte Hornets coaching job today, league sources tell ESPN. Borrego has also interviewed for the New York and Phoenix openings.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 2, 2018

However, Wojnarowski also reported Borrego is “gathering momentum” in Charlotte’s search.

Spurs assistant James Borrego and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga are each gathering momentum in Charlotte's search for a head coach, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 4, 2018

It’s possible all three assistants find head-coaching jobs, as long as Messina goes to Milwaukee, Udoka to Orlando and Borrego to Charlotte. None of these organizations may bring these three in, either, meaning a potential return to the Spurs bench unless there’s a desired departure.

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NBA teams with coaching needs have ramped up their hiring efforts, so the fates of Borrego, Messina and Udoka may come to fruition soon. If they all leave, it should push Becky Hammon near or to the top of Popovich’s assistant tree.