Dwyane Wade Could be a Factor in Stealing Spoelstra’s Right Hand Man, says NBA Executive

Erik Spoelstra and Dwyane Wade

Getty Head coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat greets former Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade

The news of Quin Snyder and the Utah Jazz parting ways looks like it could have more fallout for the Miami Heat than possibly trading for Donovan Mitchell. This time, however, it is someone from the Heat that may be going heading to Utah. The Jazz officially asked for permission to interview the long-time Heat assistant Chris Quinn on June 8. 

“The Utah Jazz have requested permission to interview Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn for franchise’s head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Quinn also talked with Charlotte for that opening. He has spent eight seasons on Erik Spoelstra’s staff,” Adrian Wojnarowski shared to Twitter


Chris Quinn Interviewing in Utah

Quinn spent six seasons in the NBA as a point guard, and over eight seasons on the Heat staff. He has ties to Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade as a teammate and coach. The two are familiar with each other, and the Jazz would love to have someone of his player development stature. 

How interested would Chris Quinn be in the Utah job? Heavy’s NBA Insider, Sean Deveney, spoke to one Eastern Conference executive about the possibility of Quinn landing in Utah. 

“He is definitely a Dwyane Wade guy, you will be able to tell how much say Wade has by how that goes. They were teammates during Quinn’s career, and he was a grinder then as he is now as a coach. Erik Spoelstra really learned to rely on him, he was Spo’s right-hand man the last few years. Spo is one of the best, too, with working on winning and at the same time developing players, getting what you can out of them. If the Jazz want to focus on development, Quinn has got to be one of the two or three coaches they’ll take most seriously there. If he leaves, the Heat will miss him,” said the executive. 

But what team would Quinn be going to in Utah? There are so many potential roster shakeups for the Jazz that it is hard to know if it is a position he would want if the offer was made. Both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have been in trade discussions. 


Other Utah Quin Snyder Fallout

Quickly after news broke that Quin Snyder was out as the head coach of the Utah Jazz, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported about Utah’s star, Donovan Mitchell being “unsettled” and “uncertain” about the future of the Jazz organization. Chris Quinn could help bring confidence in the future or Utah may have to move on from Mitchell as a whole. 

If the Jazz don’t trade Mitchell, they are expected to have to deal their other All-Star, Rudy Gobert. Gobert has been listed in trade proposals, but none with any major traction. It feels unlikely that the Jazz are about to run it back with their current two All-Stars after losing the stability and leadership Snyder brought. 

Dwyane Wade could really be the piece that helps Donovan Mitchell, whom he is close with, have trust in the future of the Jazz organization again. And now it looks like he could also be a factor in courting a potential replacement for the second-winningest coach in Utah Jazz history. 

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