As the Orlando Magic search for a new head coach after firing Jamahl Mosley following a first-round playoff loss, Billy Donovan could be the frontrunner to get the job. <\/p>\n
Per NBA insider Jake Fischer<\/a>, the feeling among people in the league is that Donovan has an “excellent shot” at the Magic job and will meet in-person with team president Jeff Weltman in the near future. <\/p>\n Fischer added that Jeff Van Gundy, who has been an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers for the past two seasons, is also on Orlando’s radar. <\/p>\n One person who doesn’t seem to be generating a lot of interest from the Magic is Tom Thibodeau, who is “not involved” in their process at this point despite their desire for someone with previous head-coaching experience. <\/p>\n The Magic\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0Mosley’s firing on May 4, one day after the team’s season-ending loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the playoffs. They blew a 3-1 series lead, including scoring 19 points in the second half of Game 6 after leading by as many as 24 points in the third quarter.<\/p>\n Mosley’s dismissal also came amid\u00a0rumors<\/a>\u00a0throughout the season that his relationship with Paolo Banchero wasn’t necessarily copacetic.<\/p>\n This is setting up to be a crucial offseason for the Magic, starting with whomever they hire as head coach. Their trade for Desmond Bane last summer left them without many draft assets, in addition to making their roster very expensive.<\/p>\n Orlando is currently projected to be just\u00a0$3.6 million<\/a>\u00a0under the second apron next season. The only teams ahead of the Magic in apron spending are the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n Oklahoma City and Denver have won NBA titles recently, while the Cavs advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals this season. The Magic haven’t won a playoff series since 2010.<\/p>\n One thing the next head coach needs to do is figure out ways to maximize the offense around Banchero, Bane and Franz Wagner. The Magic had the\u00a0fifth-lowest\u00a0<\/a>three-point success rate at 34.3 percent during the regular season.<\/p>\n