Trae Young hints at preference for next Hawks HC
The Atlanta Hawks fired coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday, with some speculating that McMillan's strained relationship with star PG Trae Young was a factor behind the decision.
However, Atlanta was 72-69 under McMillan and 29-30 this season, justifying his dismissal.
Atlanta will immediately begin its search for its new coach, with former Jazz HC Quin Snyder as an early contender for the position, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. While Snyder would be an excellent choice, it appears Young prefers a different candidate.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, the two-time All-Star shared photos potentially hinting about the coach he would like Atlanta to hire, as the guard donned a Steve Nash Suns jersey.
Young captioned the post: "One thing we can never get back, Time! ~ Don't waste it~."
Nash was Young's favorite player growing up, which may explain Young's desire to be coached by him, though it's strange considering Nash's failure as a coach.
The Brooklyn Nets fired Nash in November following a disappointing 2-5 season start. Overall, Brooklyn was 94-67 with Nash as its head coach, but it was more so because he coached All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden during his tenure.
Durant, now a member of the Suns, initially requested a trade during the offseason, partly because of the Nets' lack of game preparation under Nash. The two-time NBA Finals MVP even told Nets owner Joe Tsai that he had to choose between keeping him or Nash and GM Sean Marks.
Despite Nash's coaching woes, he and Young have a history together, and in hindsight, it might've been the start of Young's campaign for Nash as his coach.
In a 2020 game between Atlanta and Brooklyn, Nash was caught on television ripping Young for intentionally trying to draw fouls, saying his style of play was "not basketball."
Rather than taking the comment personally, Young took the opportunity to praise the then-Nets coach, "I bet if I was playing for Steve, he'd be happy," he told The Athletic.
"I learned a lot about drawing fouls from him. If he says it's not basketball, he must've been saying it about himself because he's done it a couple of times throughout his career and was so successful," Young added.
It'll be interesting to see if Young's input on Nash influences Atlanta's search, star players are usually involved in some capacity, but there are far more qualified candidates than Nash.
Hawks GM Landry Fields said Wednesday that he's willing to hire a new coach during the season, so perhaps Nash will land another job soon, though it would be surprising.
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