The Charlotte Hornets are going to have a busy 2024 NBA offseason. Their first order of business before even looking to improve the roster will be to find a new head coach to lead the team.
Their current head coach, Steve Clifford, informed the team that he intends to step down when the season comes to an end. The Hornets had no intention to move on from Clifford this offseason, but he was not ready to commit to the rigors of an NBA season and will move into a front office role.
His decision to step down and give the team some time to get their affairs in order was done in part so that the Hornets didn’t miss out on interviewing any of the potential candidates they have on their list. Reportedly, that list is already growing.
According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Hornets have already been permitted to interview several of the top assistant coaches around the league for their head coaching vacancy. One of those assistants is in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics, Charles Lee.
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Lee is in his first season as an assistant with the Celtics but has been on NBA benches as a coach for a decade. He started as an assistant on the Atlanta Hawks from 2014-2018 before moving on to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he was from 2018-2023.
The Hornets have also secured permission to speak to David Adelman of the Denver Nuggets. The name should ring a bell as he is the son of former NBA head coach Rick Adelman. He has been an assistant with the Nuggets since 2017 and could move up the ranks this offseason.
Sacramento Kings’ assistant Jordi Fernandez is also on the Hornets’ list. He has been an associate head coach on Mike Brown’s staff since he got there in 2022. Fernandez is also the head coach of Team Canada and has head coaching experience from the G League with the Canton Charge.
Last but not least is Kevin Young of the Phoenix Suns. He has been with Phoenix since 2020, starting as an assistant coach for one season before being named associate head coach in 2021. He retained that title even with Frank Vogel taking over as head coach for the 2023-24 NBA season.
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