Sources: Magic finalizing deal to hire Spurs asst. Sweeney as coach - ESPN

The Orlando Magic are finalizing a deal to hire San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise's new head coach, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Sweeney, who has spent this season as San Antonio's lead assistant, will replace Jamahl Mosley, who was fired after the Magic lost 4-3 to Detroit in their first-round series, and has since become the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Sweeney will finish the remainder of the postseason on the Spurs' bench, including Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, which is set for Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a berth in the NBA Finals on the line.

Former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy were also finalists for the Magic's coaching vacancy, sources said. Sweeney, Donovan and Van Gundy held in-person meetings with top Magic officials last week before a decision was made to offer the job to Sweeney, who blew Orlando away during his interview process and meeting with ownership Wednesday in San Antonio, sources added.

Sweeney ran San Antonio's defense for Coach of the Year finalist Mitch Johnson this season, guiding an improvement from 25th to third in the NBA's defensive efficiency rankings and garnering praise from the team's young stars Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

The Spurs also ranked top-five in defending isolations, on-ball screens, drives and rim protection, according to ESPN Research. Under Sweeney, the Spurs made a 28-win improvement to a 62-20 campaign — tied for the third-most wins in franchise history — and have advanced to the conference finals. Sweeney has served as a lead assistant to a conference finalist in three of the last five seasons.

Sweeney's first head