NBA Rumors: Hawks Want to Hire Quin Snyder as HC 'Swiftly' After Nate McMillan Fired

The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly attempting to hire former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder to be their new head coach as soon as possible.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Hawks want to hire Snyder "swiftly" during the 2022-23 season rather than waiting until the offseason.

The Hawks fired Nate McMillan from his head coaching position Tuesday amid a 29-30 start to the season. In parts of three seasons as the head coach in Atlanta, McMillan went 99-80 with two playoff appearances, including a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.

Per Charania, the Hawks had a virtual meeting with Snyder on Wednesday, and while he was believed to be out of the country at the time, the Hawks are working to set up an in-person meeting with him soon.

Charania noted that while the Hawks have "focused" on Snyder, they are also exploring other candidates such as Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, San Antonio Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson and South Bay Lakers head coach Miles Simon in the G League.

Snyder served as Utah's head coach for eight seasons from 2014 through 2022 following multiple stints as an NBA assistant, including a year with the Hawks in 2013-14.

During his time in Utah, Snyder went 372-264, and he led the Jazz to the playoffs in each of his final six seasons.

Regular-season success was plentiful for Snyder in Utah, as he was second in the NBA Coach of the Year voting in 2018 and third in 2021, but it rarely translated to the playoffs.

The Jazz made it out of the first round of the postseason only three times under Snyder, and they never advanced beyond the second round.

After losing to the the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the first round of last season's playoffs, Snyder decided he would not return for a ninth season. That perhaps created a domino effect, as the Jazz then traded All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If Snyder lands the job in Atlanta, he will take over a talented team that hasn't lived up to expectations since its run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Hawks boast a backcourt that most NBA general managers long to have, headlined by two-time All-Star Trae Young and one-time All-Star Dejounte Murray.

Young is enjoying another strong statistical season with 26.7 points, 10.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game, while Murray has produced 20.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in his first season in Atlanta.

The Hawks also have a relatively strong supporting cast that includes John Collins, De'Andre Hunter, Clint Capela, Saddiq Bey and Bogdan Bogdanović

There is little doubt Atlanta should be a playoff team with that collection of talent, but it is only in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at 29-30 and is far from guaranteed a playoff spot. Last year the team was 43-39 and was ninth in the East.

Getting to the playoffs has never been much of an issue for Snyder, so securing him at some point during the current season could be the catalyst the Hawks need in order to secure a postseason spot.