The Name Game

On Friday's episode of ESPN's The Jump, Brian Windhorst gave us a few names being considered for the Oklahoma City Thunder head coaching job. We'll tell you who they are and What Richard Jefferson had to say about the pros and cons of coaching in Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma City Thunder knows how to keep sensitive information from getting out to the public. That's why up until now, it's been silent on the search to replace Billy Donovan. 

During Friday's episode of The Jump on ESPN, Brian Windhorst finally gave us some names Sam Presti might consider when picking his new head coach. According to Windhorst, the Thunder will rebuild, and that's why Donovan found the Bulls job more attractive. 

As we've been telling you, it will most likely be a first-time head coach allowing them to grow with a developing roster. The List of names includes David Vanterpool, who is currently the associate head coach of the Timberwolves. 

Adrain Griffin, who spent two years in Oklahoma City on Donovan's staff and helped the Toronto Raptors win a championship last season. Windhorst also says that Spurs' assistant Will Hardy is a sleeper candidate. 

Richard Jefferson says whoever gets this job "sees the writing on the wall," meaning they know are not going to win. Jefferson points out that because the Thunder is loaded with draft picks over the next few seasons, they will build quickly. 

Jefferson, like the rest of us, is expecting the Presti to trade Chris Paul and Steven Adams, so when you come to Oklahoma City, you must expect that that roster will look different than when you first take over.  

The good news for Presti and any other General Manager looking for a new head coach is that there are only 30 of these jobs in the world. That means no matter how bad a roster or a front office looks, somebody is going to take on that challenge.  

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With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past eight seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.