NBA

It's not a surprise for one of the best coaches in the history of the game. The 71-year-old Sloan is interested in coaching again, but feels that the Bucks are not the right fit. The Bucks will shift their focus to Nate McMillan, Kelvin Sampson, J.B. Bickerstaff or possibly Steve Clifford to fill their coaching void.

The same report suggests that "a reunion [of Sloan] with ... Deron Williams is not on the horizon." Sloan is one of at least five coaches to have interviewed with the Bucks, joining Nate McMillan, Kelvin Sampson, J.B. Bickerstaff and Steve Clifford, the latter of whom interviewed on Monday.

Sloan, who has been linked to both the Nets and the Bucks so far, described the calls as exploratory and said there are no job offers are on the table. The Nets option is an intriguing one due to the Deron Williams factor, but ESPN's Chris Broussard reported Sloan is a "long-shot candidate" for Brooklyn's vacancy and Sloan himself said the Nets are not one of the teams that called him. At this point, it appears Sloan is making a concerted effort to put his name in the running, but it remains to be seen if there's an NBA team willing to bite at the moment.

No word if he plans to wipe the side of his face before the coaching interviews like he did at the foul line when he played, but it would be a nice touch. Hornacek, now 50 years old, has spent the last two-plus seasons as an assistant for the Jazz.

The Nets have been linked to a lot of prominent names, but little has come of it thus far. Brooklyn is expected to take their time in hiring a new head coach, and while Sloan said he'd listen if the Nets called, it doesn't appear that movement has gained any traction yet.

"I'm open, I would listen," he said. "I would definitely listen if they called." While it's not an outright endorsement of Williams, it's telling that both Williams and Sloan have said they harbor no ill will toward one another in less than 24 hours.

It would truly be a sight to behold if Williams and Sloan are reunited in Brooklyn after all of the cries about Williams being a coach-killer, but it's too early in the process to determine if Sloan will be a legitimate candidate in the search. You can expect GM Billy King to get Williams' opinion of the next head coach as the franchise star, but it's unlikely to be the determining factor in the next hire.