Blazing a new trail: McMillan accepts deal with Portland

The decision to leave the Sonics and Seattle, Nate McMillan's home for the past 19 years, and become the next coach of the Portland Trail Blazers wasn't made in the past week.

McMillan met with Blazers owner Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder and Seahawks owner, on Friday and received a five-year offer a couple of days later. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is believed to be worth $30 million, $12 million more than the four-year, $18 million offer McMillan received from the Sonics.

Despite the tremendous pay raise, McMillan insisted last night during a telephone interview that he wasn't motivated solely by financial reasons and that he had been contemplating leaving the Sonics for the past year.

"I know that it's time to change and move on because it's something that I basically knew at the beginning of the season," McMillan said. "I made some little notes to myself over the last year or so. It's just time for me to change. To move on. Nineteen years of being on the same stage and entertaining and performing, I felt like it was time to do something different."

McMillan's return appeared to be a foregone conclusion days after guiding the Sonics to a surprising 52-30 record last season, the Northwest Division championship and the Western Conference semifinals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in six games.

The Sonics seemingly strengthened their ties with McMillan at the start of the week when they reached an agreement with All-Star guard Ray Allen, who will sign a five-year, $80 million deal later this month.

With Allen on board, Rashard Lewis, Luke Ridnour and Nick Collison under contract and the strong possibility that Vladimir Radmanovic, a restricted free agent, will return, it seemed as if the Sonics had a solid nucleus to advance further than the previous season.

McMillan file

Playing career Drafted in the second round (No. 30 pick overall) by the Sonics in 1986 out of North Carolina State. McMillan played 12 years for Seattle, the only NBA team he played for, and retired as the team's all-time leader in assists (4,893) and steals (1,544). Named twice to the all-NBA defense second team. Leads the Sonics in career postseason games (98). In 1999, the Sonics retired his No. 10 jersey.

Coaching career After ending his playing career, he spent two seasons as a Sonics assistant before taking over as head coach on Nov. 27, 2000, when Paul Westphal was fired. He went 212-183 and took the team to the playoffs in 2002 and 2005. The team reached the second round of the playoffs this past season after a 52-30 regular season. His teams were 8-8 in the playoffs.

"I didn't want to base my coming back on the success of this year," McMillan said. "Every year after the season, I would make a decision. Am I motivated to come back? Can I do the job that I need to do to return?

"I didn't feel the excitement that I felt over the last couple of years. I think the negotiations took longer because I was trying to give every opportunity to myself to get fired up about coming back. I prepared myself to move on. I didn't know if it would be in December or February or at the end of the season with all of the talk about me being fired or replaced or me on the hot seat and dead man walking. So I prepared myself to move on for a while now."

During an interview with the Times before the season, McMillan painted a dismal portrait of his situation. At the time, he had endured two straight losing seasons and management made minor alterations to a roster filled with eight players entering the final year of their contracts.

McMillan playfully labeled the season as "The Last Ride," but his words proved to be prophetic.

"I think then I was kind of sending a message," he said. "I knew then all of those comments that was said last year at the end of [the] year and during the summer, I didn't forget that. Everybody is basing this on the success of this season. I'm basing this on how I felt last year at this time.

"What about two years from now? The length of the contract that Seattle offered me. I know fans and everyone will have their comments on this. The excitement for me was to step away. To find out who am I outside of Seattle. I don't know that person. I don't know. That's a challenge for me. I don't know. I want to see."

McMillan's departure marks the end of an era in Seattle. He was a highly popular player for 12 years whose hard-nosed, team-oriented, defensive-minded personality earned him the nickname "Mr. Sonic" and led to the team retiring his No. 10 jersey. He ranks No. 2 in team history behind Gary Payton with 1,544 steals and 4,893 assists.

After his playing days, he joined the Sonics coaching staff. He took over as head coach when Paul Westphal was fired early in the 2000-01 season. McMillan, 40, compiled a 212-183 (.537) record and led the Sonics to two playoff appearances.

"Our respect and affection for Nate will not waver, no matter how paradoxical that he is moving to our Northwest rival," Sonics president Wally Walker said in a news release last night. "More than anything, we want to thank Nate for 19 magnificent years as a Sonic; as a player, as a coach and as an emissary for what is right with the NBA."

The Sonics will immediately begin a coaching search that will surely include Phoenix Suns assistant Marc Iavaroni, former Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders and former Milwaukee Bucks coach Terry Porter as well as Bob Weiss, Jack Sikma and Dean Demopoulos, who were assistants under McMillan.

Another possible candidate is Dwane Casey, who recently accepted the head-coach position in Minnesota, although the Sonics would have to give the Timberwolves compensation. Other initial candidates include former San Antonio coach Bob Hill, and Terry Stotts, a former Sonics assistant and head coach in Atlanta.

McMillan, who will be introduced at a news conference open to the public at the Washington Park Amphitheater this afternoon, becomes the third Blazers coach in the past year. He succeeds interim coach Kevin Pritchard, who took over after Maurice Cheeks was fired.

McMillan will inherit a team that finished 27-55 last season and selected former Seattle Prep standout Martell Webster in last week's draft.

When asked his favorite memory during what was nearly two decades, McMillan was at a loss to name just one.

"This was a great ride for me," he said. "I don't have any regrets."

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com; staff reporter Bud Withers contributed to this article.