Kyle Ringo of the Rocky Mountain News reports: The Denver Nuggets lost one potential head coach while interviewing another Monday.

Dallas assistant coach Donn Nelson accepted a promotion to president of basketball operations, opting to stay by his father's side to try to win a championship. Don Nelson is the Mavericks' head coach and general manager.

New Jersey Nets assistant coach Eddie Jordan met with Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe to discuss a job for which he is considered the leading contender now that Nelson no longer is interested. Vandeweghe's assessment of the meeting only strengthened that theory.

"I really liked Eddie," Vandeweghe said. "He was very well prepared. It was a very, very positive meeting. We got a lot out of it."

Several East Coast publications have previously reported the Nuggets have decided on Jordan and that his interviewing is a mere formality. Those reports have been attributed to NBA sources and have been labeled "untrue" by Vandeweghe.

Utah assistant coach Phil Johnson is expected to interview today.

In other news, Andy Miller, the agent for Denver native Chauncey Billups, said Denver was not among the half-dozen teams calling Monday to inquire about his client on the first day of free agency. The Nuggets are in need of a point guard, but Billups might be too expensive.