One thing is clear as the Charlotte Hornets search for a head coach to replace Steve Clifford. It means they are getting younger. Charlotte is targeting a top young assistant known for developing players, preferably Mark Daigneault.
The Hornets have already received permission to speak with four assistant coaches. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.Other names are emerging. It's still early, but here are his five names to keep an eye on in your coaching search (in alphabetical order).
David Adelman (Denver Nuggets)
The younger brother Adelman, the son of legendary coach Rick Adelman, is a coach who has focused on player development at the NBA level for 13 years. He spent a season with the Orlando Magic, but has been with the Denver Nuggets since 2017, rising to associate head coach and drawing praise from Nikola Jokic while being part of the team that won a ring last season. . He interviewed for Toronto's head coaching job last summer.
Jordi Fernandez (Sacramento Kings)
Fernandez is already looking forward to a busy summer as the head coach of Canada's busy national team leading up to the Paris Olympics (including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and possibly some NBA names like Jamal Murray, Dillon Brooks and RJ Barrett). I'm in front of you. Coach Fernandes led Canada to a bronze medal at last summer's FIBA World Cup. Fernandez was also a member of Denver's staff before leaving to become an associate head coach in Sacramento and has spent several years as a G League head coach with the Canton Charge. He has been part of the interview process for several head coaching vacancies over the past few years.
Charles Lee (Boston Celtics)
Lee has been an NBA assistant for the past 10 years, most of those years under Mike Budenholzer, first in Atlanta and then following him to Milwaukee, where Lee was part of the 2021 NBA Championship staff. I became a member. Lee has been on the radar around the league as a head coaching candidate for some time and has participated in several interview processes. When Budenholzer was fired last summer, the Celtics hired Lee to be Joe Mazzula's lead assistant in Boston. Lee was interviewed when the Hornets hired Kenny Atkinson (but that fell through and Clifford suddenly got a call from the Hornets).
Chris Quinn (Miami Heat)
Quinn is also someone who has been in the running for the head coaching job for many years. His resume is that of a former NBA player who spent the past decade in Miami studying under (arguably) the best coach in the game, Erik Spoelstra. Quinn is the team's director of player development, known for getting the most out of young players, so that's a big plus.
Kevin Young (Phoenix Suns)
Young was one of the Suns' finalists when Phoenix acquired Frank Vogel, but this leaves the highly respected and well-liked Young (who is reportedly the highest-paid assistant in the league) The coaching staff was overturned except for He has head coaching experience at the G League level, is currently the lead assistant on Monty Williams and Vogel's staff, and is someone many front office officials around the league believe deserves a chance. .
Whoever becomes Charlotte's next head coach will inherit a team that is rebuilding, but (if Ball can stay healthy) has talent like Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball. . The Hornets are on track to land a top-five pick in this June's NBA Draft.
