McMillan gets rewarded by Pacers with 1-year contract extension

Indiana Pacers coach Nate McMillan has agreed to a contract extension.

On Wednesday, McMillan and the Pacers added another year to his current deal, which was set to expire after next season.

“It’s just a one-year extension. I felt that was appropriate for both sides,” McMillan told reporters on a pregame Zoom call. “Normally, I don’t do any negotiations ’till after the season. But this has been an unusual season for all of us—coaches, players and management—and we’d been talking about this. We just thought a one-year extension really was appropriate.”

McMillan has a record of 181-136 in four seasons and needs one more win to break a tie with Rick Carlisle for third in career victories during the franchise’s NBA history. The Pacers have gone to the playoffs each season McMillan has been in charge but Indiana has not advanced beyond the first round since 2014.

“What Nate has done in four seasons with our franchise merits this extension,” president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said. “Between injuries and changes in personnel, he and his coaching staff have adapted and produced positive results. He also represents the franchise, the city and our state in a first-class manner.’’

Before taking the head coaching job, McMillan was the team’s associate head coach on Frank Vogel’s staff from 2013-16. The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals in McMillan’s first season as an assistant.

McMillan’s 659 career wins as a head coach rank 22nd in NBA history.