Mike D’Antoni could hire Nate McMillan as a defensive assistant with the Lakers (Garrett Ellwood, Getty Images)

Now that Mike D’Antoni has officially been named coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, he may start to hire some of his own assistants. And according to Ken Berger at CBS Sports, one of those assistants could be Nate McMillan.

McMillan worked with D’Antoni on the Team USA coaching staff, and is currently without a job in the NBA after being fired by the Portland Trail Blazers midway through last season. In six and a half season in Portland, McMillan gained a reputation as a good defensive coach – an attribute that would fit nicely with D’Antoni’s ran-and-gun offensive style.

Former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan is in North Carolina this week to interview for the Charlotte Bobcats’ open head coaching position, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

McMillan has a Tar Heel State connection — he was a basketball standout for the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the 1980s before going on to play 12 seasons in the NBA.

The Bobcats are also in talks with Stephen Silas, an assistant coach this past season under his father, recently fired head coach Paul Silas. Paul Silas coached the Bobcats for a season and a half, but he was let go three weeks ago after going 7-59, statistically the worst season in NBA history.

McMillan was fired in March as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He went 266-269 at the helm in Portland after posting a 212-183 record as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics.

Patrick Ewing is another name that’s been linked to the Bobcats in recent weeks.

Paul Silas just vacated the head coaching position in Charlotte about four hours ago, and already there’s speculation about who will take over the Bobcats next season. It’s unlikely to be former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

Nate McMillan is a North Carolina native and natural candidate for Michael Jordan, but remote chance he'll have interest, sources tell Y!

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Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) April 30, 2012

McMillan was fired in Portland at the March 15 trade deadline this season — the Blazers had lost 13 of their last 19 games to fall out of playoff contention, and there were rumors of a “mutiny” against him led by veterans Jamal Crawford and Raymond Felton. It’s unclear whether McMillan wants to get back into coaching right away.

Silas was let go today after the Bobcats finished the lockout-shortened season at 7-59, setting an NBA record for lowest winning percentage at .106.

For the second time in as many days, an NBA head coach is out of a job — the Portland Trail Blazers have fired Nate McMillan, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Portland has fired coach Nate McMillan, league source tells Y! Sports.

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Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) March 15, 2012

The move isn’t entirely surprising — the Blazers have come apart at the seams in recent weeks, losing seven of their last nine games and 13 of their last 19. After beginning the season as a leading contender to finish atop the Western Conference, Portland is now 20-23 and ranks 12th.

Last night, after reports of veterans Jamal Crawford and Raymond Felton leading a “mutiny” against McMillan in the Blazers’ locker room, the team managed just 29 first-half points in a dreadful 121-79 loss to the New York Knicks — even though the Knicks had just fired their own coach, Mike D’Antoni.

The Blazers dealt Gerald Wallace to New Jersey and Marcus Camby to Houston today in an attempt to blow up the current roster; Crawford and Felton remain with the team.

Wojnarowski has now learned that assistant Kaleb Canales has been promoted to the head-coaching job on an interim basis. That job begins tomorrow night, when the Blazers visit the NBA-best Chicago Bulls.