Michael Malone and three more candidates to replace Gregg Popovich on the San Antonio Spurs

In the last week, two coaches have been fired from their NBA jobs, and the San Antonio Spurs could be looking for a replacement.

As the San Antonio Spurs grapple with the unfortunate reality that longtime coach Gregg Popovich might not return to the sidelines, the search for the next coach, however informally, is on.

After suffering a stroke on Nov. 2, the legendary head coach is yet to return to the sidelines, although he’s made it clear that he wants to, provided his health allows him. Nonetheless, the Spurs’ organization is grappling with the reality that his career is nearing its end and will have to find a replacement sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, for the Silver and Black, there is no shortage of coaching talent to be had, and a transition could be smoother than expected.

Spurs’ best overall option: Michael Malone

Michael Malone is a Finals-winning coach who has managed to form a lasting relationship with an all-time international player in Nikola Jokic. While the details surrounding his April 8 firing are yet to be revealed, Jokic requested that Malone be given an advisory job for the Serbian National Team in 2020, so it’s hard to imagine the two had a falling out.

Malone was regarded as one of the best coaches in the league and was fired in the midst of a skid down the standings in Denver. He is one of the rare NBA figures who doesn’t have a professional connection to Popovich, which might make it hard for him to win over the fanbase, but as long as he has the support of Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs would do good to pursue him as their next head coach.

Malone is only 53 years old, so it’s feasible that he could be a long-term solution for the Silver and Black.

Fan favorite pick: Chris Paul

Fans would certainly prefer Manu Ginobili or Tim Duncan to take over as coach, but Chris Paul has shown an interest in being an NBA head coach. He has quickly developed a rapport with Wembanyama and will not be the starting point guard next season.

By signing with the Spurs instead of a contender, Paul made it clear that he values his own participation more than winning a ring. He just wants to play as much as possible, and if the chance to be a starter isn’t given to him in free agency this summer, taking over as a head coach might be the next best thing.

Paul is one of the best basketball minds of all time and could be named the head coach of pretty much any team in the league. However, a chance to win multiple titles while leading Wemby’s team is a tough opportunity to pass up.

However, if Ginobili or Duncan expresses interest in taking over, those former players would be preferred by the fanbase.

Most realistic option: Taylor Jenkins

Much like Malone, Taylor Jenkins was fired in the middle of a playoff push. The Memphis Grizzlies decided he wasn’t doing enough to get them to Finals contention, and his inability to rein in Ja Morant’s gun obsession ultimately led to his dismissal.

Jenkins twice led Memphis to 50-win seasons, and coached DPOTY Jaren Jackson Jr. and Morant, an All-Star guard.

Fox and Wembanyama would be an upgrade over both of those players, and Jenkins is only 40, so in theory, the Spurs could employ him for decades, which is always the ideal.

Jenkins spent five seasons as a coach for the G League Austin Toros, now the Spurs, and worked closely with Popovich before becoming an assistant for the Mike Budenholzer-led Atlanta Hawks, another branch on the Popovich coaching tree.

Maybe a homecoming to Texas is overdue.

Best overall option: Becky Hammon

If Paul, Malone, and Jenkins all beg general manager Brian Wright to hire them and then Becky Hammon announces her plans to return to the NBA, Wright should ignore all three of the accomplished men. 

Hammon made three WNBA All-Star Games as a member of the San Antonio Silver Stars before becoming a trusted member of Popovich’s coaching staff from 2014-21. She was the first paid female NBA coach, and has earned high praise from her players.

“Becky Hammon can coach,” Pau Gasol wrote in 2018. “I’m not saying she can coach pretty well. I’m not saying she can coach enough to get by. I’m not saying she can coach almost at the level of the NBA’s coaches. I’m saying: Becky Hammon can coach NBA basketball. Period.”

In 2021, Hammon interviewed to take over the Portland Trail Blazers but was beaten out by Chauncey Billups. She took over as the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces of the NBA and won two titles in her first two seasons.

She has the utmost respect of players, fans, and coaches in San Antonio and would be the perfect replacement for the man who trusted her with a landmark job.

“I know you weren’t trying to be courageous when you hired me, but you did do something nobody else in professional sports has ever done,” she said to a tearful Popovich during her Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2023. “You display excellence, you expect excellence, and model how to become excellent in your everyday routine and how you go about your work…And you’ve changed the trajection of my life and of so many other girls and young women. Thank you. I love you.”

Popovich wasn’t trying to break barriers when he hired Hammon in 2014, he was trying to build a winning staff, and Hammon should be the frontrunner to replace him if she wants to step away from the Aces and return to San Antonio.