Sweeney will finish the remainder of the postseason on the Spurs bench -- with Game 7 on Saturday night for an NBA Finals berth.
Former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy were the two other finalists for the Magic's coaching vacancy, sources said.
Sweeney, 41, has run 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, garnering praise from the team's young stars Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
Under Johnson and his lead assistant in Sweeney, the Spurs made a 28-win improvement to a 62-20 campaign — tied for the third-most wins in franchise history — and have made a deep run with one of the youngest lineups in playoffs history.
@MarkGottlieb You either get in too early and your 10min timer expires before the sale or go on too late and your stuck in the queue whilst it sells out.