Apr 7, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Lindsey Hunter stands on the sidelines during the game against the New Orleans Hornets at US Airways Center. The Hornets defeated the Suns 95-92. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

According to reports from Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the new Suns general manager Ryan McDonough met with interim head coach for Phoenix Lindsey Hunter in Chicago. McDonough is there for the NBA draft combine this week.

Y! Sources: As GM Ryan McDonough meets with Lindsey Hunter for head coaching job, candidates emerging for Suns. tinyurl.com/avod8qf

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) May 16, 2013

During the meeting, which is the first formal one with any candidate for the opening, they discussed the job.

Wojnarowski also reported that other candidates for the job are “Utah Jazz assistant head coach Jeff Hornacek, Moscow CSKA assistant Quin Snyder Houston Rockets assistants J.B. Bickerstaff and Kelvin Sampson and Los Angeles Lakers assistant Steve Clifford, among others.”

All of these people would be decent coaches, and the stakes aren’t as high as with a contender. The characteristics that the Suns would be looking for in a head coach is high-character, but mostly the ability to transfer that to his players, creating a determined work ethic. The coach should also be a talent evaluator that is a player’s coach so that the young guys that will be here during the rebuild will grow by leaps and bounds.

All of these candidates are assistants and haven’t been big names, but have been with winning franchises. So they will be able to work with the players, since they were assistants. Most importantly, whichever low-key candidate gets the job there won’t be any exaggerated expectations for the organization to disappoint the fans with like this season.

From what I have been hearing, Sampson will be the most coveted around the league by other teams, and would be one reason that he would be my choice to pilot the Suns in the coming years.

Apr 7, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Lindsey Hunter stands on the sidelines during the game against the New Orleans Hornets at US Airways Center. The Hornets defeated the Suns 95-92. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

It is being reported that the Suns interim head coach Lindsey Hunter has asked permission from the team to interview for the head coaching vacancy in Detroit, following the Pistons firing Lawrence Frank last Thursday right after their disappointing 29-53 season came to an end.

Source: Lindsey Hunter has asked #Suns for permission to interview for #Pistons HC vacancy. It will likely be granted soon.

— Matt Dery (@deryNBA) April 24, 2013

This isn’t suprising seeing that Hunter’s advocate in managment, general manager Lance Blanks parted ways with the team Monday, and while Hunter was still in the running ro the full-time coaching position, he probably wanted to go back to Detroit where he played for 12 seasons in two stints of his 17-year NBA career.

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