The Orlando Magic and head coach candidate Scott Skiles entered into contract discussions on Friday morning, according ESPN's Marc Stein, and sources say the Magic hope to strike a deal as soon as possible.
Hearing that the Magic, if they have their way, will have a deal with Scott Skiles to be their new head coach by day's end
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 29, 2015
Skiles had recently interviewed with the New Orleans Pelicans, with his sights set on their coaching vacancy. Other candidates for the bayou bench boss position have reportedly included Alvin Gentry, currently an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, and Jeff Van Gundy. The team has also been said to share mutual interest with newly-unemployed coach Tom Thibodeau.
Skiles has a history with the Magic. He was selected by the team in the 1989 NBA Expansion Draft, which introduced the Magic to the league. He played five seasons in Orlando, etching his name into the NBA's record books in December of 1990, when he dished out 30 assists in a victory over the Denver Nuggets. The record still stands 25 years later.
The 1991 Most Improved Player went on to play for several other NBA teams before finishing his playing career in Greece in 1997. That year, suffering from a serious shoulder injury, he was released by PAOK Thessaloniki and immediately offered the opportunity to coach the very same roster.
From there, Skiles enjoyed varying levels of success as a head coach in Phoenix, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Despite achieving winning records and reaching the playoffs with each of those clubs, he developed a reputation for wearing down his players.
Now, it seems Orlando will provide Skiles with his next coaching opportunity. The upstart Magic have a talented young roster that includes Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, Elfrid Payton, and Aaron Gordon. It will be interesting to see how Skiles's return to central Florida plays out.
