OKC Thunder: 7 head coach candidates with ties to franchise

Mo Cheeks – four and five-year stints with Brooks and Donovan in OKC

The one coach in Russell Westbrook’s career who was able to get him to listen and who the superstar frequently sought out for advice was Maurice Cheeks.

Cheeks played his college ball with West Texas State University. He was drafted by the 76ers in 1983. He spent 11 seasons in Philly and 15 in the NBA. Although he was drafted in the second round (36) he had an illustrious career playing on four All-Star teams, earning five All-Defensive team inclusions, and got to the NBA Finals on three occasions winning the title in 1978.

Cheeks transitioned into coaching initially serving as an assistant progressing into the main chair as head coach for the Blazers, 76ers, and Pistons. Between the latter two stints, he spent four seasons as an OKC Thunder assistant for Scott Brooks staff until the PIstons came calling for a short-lived term.

When Billy Donovan became the head coach of the Thunder in 2015-16 he brought Cheeks back where he was an assistant for the duration of Donovan’s five-year tenure. With so much of his coaching career spent with the Thunder, he’s extremely familiar with the organization and with the current roster.

That would seemingly make him a natural choice to at least get an interview, but Shams Charania reports Cheeks is rejoining Donovan in Chicago, once again as an assistant.

Mark Daigneault – OKC Blue and OKC Thunder stints

Someone else with ties to Billy Donovan is Mark Daigneault who could also end up in Chicago before long. Daigneault worked with Billy D in Florida as well as on the Thunder staff.

T.I. previously highlighted Daigneaut’s qualities in our article highlighting present and former coaches with G-League experience.