Terry Porter is expected to be interviewed by the Suns for a second time later next week, according to The Associated Press.

Porter worked as an assistant coach for the Pistons this season, and the team was eliminated in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals by the Celtics on Friday night.

He was the lead assistant for Flip Saunders during the past two seasons and coached the Bucks from 2003-2005.

General Manager Steve Kerr played with Porter during their active playing days and has been looking for a head coach ever since Mike D'Antoni bolted for New York.

Longtime NBA Assistant Coach Elston Turner, who spent the 2007-08 season with the Rockets, is reportedly a serious candidate for the coaching job with the Suns, according to The Sacramento Bee.

Phoenix officials refused to comment on the situation, but sources claim that the team is very interested in Turner after they met last week.

General Manager Steve Kerr might even meet informally with Turner during the Pre-Draft camp in Orlando at some point.

"I just consider myself in the running," Turner said.

Suns' Assistant General Manager Vinny Del Negro has not been sitting in on coaching interviews with GM Steve Kerr and Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin for a very good reason; Del Negro is a coaching candidate too.

According to the Arizona Republic, Del Negro interviewed for the position on Thursday.

"The interview went extremely well," Del Negro said. "I know the team as well, if not better than anybody. I appreciated their support in me to interview me. It was lot of fun in terms of preparation and the things I put into it to talk about my philosophies."

The Phoenix Suns met with Laker Assistant Coach Brian Shaw on May 18 while the Lakers were on a break in the playoffs, the East Valley Tribune is reporting.

Shaw met with the Chicago Bulls the day afterwards and is believed to be on the short list in both cities.

Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf believes that one of the reasons coach Mike D'Antoni decided against joining the team was the team's focus on defense, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.

"The Knicks told him they loved him, and they rushed him like you rush for a fraternity, and we hadn't made up our minds," Reinsdorf told WMVP-AM (1000) in Chicago. "Is that indecisive? It may be, but this is a pretty important hire. This is a very important hire, particularly the way the Lottery worked out [with the Bulls getting the first draft pick]. I think it's only appropriate that we take our time. He said there was no rush, by the way. Then the next morning he went to the Knicks."

Reinsdorf recounted the conversation during the interview.

"The third thing [during the conversation] was the one knock on you is your teams don't play defense," Reinsdorf explained, recounting his interview with D'Antoni. "He said  'We haven't played much defense with the Suns because of the personnel we had. I did not think this team could defend.' "

" 'If you come to Chicago, the only way I see this wouldn't work out would be if we didn't play defense the way you say we're going to play defense,' " Reinsdorf told D'Antoni. "And then I think that scared him. I think that was the closer for the Knicks."

Richard Jefferson still maintains that he wants his future to lie in with the Nets despite his name consistently appearing in trade rumors, the New York Daily News is reporting.

The latest rumors have the Nets coveting Carmelo Anthony from Denver, Andrea Bargnani from Toronto, and Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa from Phoenix.

"I don't think so," said his agent Todd Eley when asked if Jefferson had changed his mind about wanting to leave New Jersey. "I think that he really loves playing there, loves being a Net, and would like to stay with the Nets. I think that's his preference."

Jeff Hornacek will interview for the Phoenix Suns' coaching job although that job could be either the head or assistant gig, the Arizona Republic is reporting.

Suns' General Manager Steve Kerr, a Hornacek teammate as a Suns' rookie, also gauged Hornacek's interest in coaching last season when he had a staff opening.

The New Jersey Nets appear to be active on the rumor mill, with GM Ron Thorn believed to be in discussions with many teams, the Newark Star-Ledger is reporting.

According to columnist Dave D'Alessandro, the Nets have made some cursory inquiries with Phoenix (about Boris Diaw and Leandro Barboso), more substantive discussions with Toronto (about Andrea Bargnani), and there has been some dialogue with Denver about Carmelo Anthony.

The Nets have made some cursory inquiries with Phoenix about Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa, more substantive discussions with Toronto about Andrea Bargnani, and there has been some dialogue with Denver about Carmelo Anthony.

Athough one Nets' official claims that "other conversations have a much better chance of fruition" than the Anthony discussions.

Phoenix is set to interview Rockets' Assistant Coach Elston Turner on Wednesday, followed by former Sun and current Utah assistant Tyrone Corbin, the East Valley Tribune is reporting.

Terry Porter and Mark Jackson have already interviewed with Suns' GM Steve Kerr.