Report: Hunt's chances of staying on as Nuggets coach improving

The Denver Nuggets' search for a new coach may be coming back to interim bench boss Melvin Hunt.

The chances of Hunt - who took over after Brian Shaw was fired - staying on permanently continue to improve, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

The Nuggets roster had checked out on Shaw long before his March 3 dismissal, and Hunt's more player-friendly approach appeared to be a breath of fresh air, helping Denver to a 6-2 record in his first eight games. While that corrected itself to a 10-13 mark down the stretch, Nuggets management appears high on Hunt, who previously worked as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers.

This rumored Hunt development comes on the same day it was reported Scott Brooks will not coach next season.

Mike D'Antoni reportedly remains in the mix, though it's not known what direction Denver is going. D'Antoni coached Danilo Gallinari in New York, but there is speculation the Nuggets may shop him and point guard Ty Lawson.

Denver will pick seventh in June's draft.