After reaching an agreement to hire former Suns head coach Jay Triano as a top assistant, the Hornets are adding another coach to James Borrego‘s new staff in Charlotte. According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link), former Magic assistant Jay Hernandez has agreed to a deal with the Hornets.
Hernandez, who had been working under Frank Vogel in Orlando, was let go at the same time Vogel was fired by the Magic last month. Hernandez’s name surfaced as one to watch in New York when David Fizdale was hired, but he’ll land in Charlotte instead, teaming up with Borrego and Triano on the Hornets’ new-look bench.
Here are a few more coaching-related updates from around the basketball world:
- Lloyd Pierce has begun to fill out his coaching staff in Atlanta, with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reporting that former Mavericks assistant Melvin Hunt will join the Hawks at Pierce’s lead assistant, while former Suns assistant Marlon Garnett will also be part of the team’s staff. Marc Stein of The New York Times first reported (via Twitter) that the Hawks were in advanced discussions with Hunt.
- Many of the Hawks‘ former assistants are preparing to relocate to Milwaukee along with Mike Budenholzer, leaving the Bucks‘ old staff in the lurch. Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times looks at what’s next for those Bucks assistants.
- Darussafaka head coach David Blatt is receiving some interest from EuroLeague powerhouse CSKA Moscow, according to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Blatt, who interviewed for multiple NBA coaching jobs this spring, has an extensive international résumé that includes a stint as head coach of the Russian national team.
- At Sportando, Carchia passes along another La Gazzetta dello Sport story, as the Italian outlet reports that Sergio Scariolo – the coach of Spain’s national team – is pursuing an opportunity to become an assistant in the NBA.
The Hornets staff is rounding into shape and starting to look pretty damn good
You think they trade Dwight? I still have that image of him as a Laker cussing out Kupchak in 2013.
I think it’s 50/50 tbh.
Thats why I think the draft as well as free agency is going to be wild. A lot of these guys who knows where theyll go. I’d say Dwight till Milwaukee but with Bud I don’t see that now. Maybe the Raptors?
Surprised the Raptors haven’t been tied at all to Blatt. They have decent in house candidates, but they’re at a point of either win next year or tear it down. Going with a proven coach is probably their best move.
I’m a Cavs fan, and I don’t think Blatt would be a good fit for the Raptors. He’d be a great fit for a rebuilding team with young talent, but he’s not the guy you want if you have a lot of pressure to win immediately like the Raptors would.
Exactly. Blatt was hired prior to knowledge that James was coming home. At that point Cleveland had a very young team and the first overall pick in the draft. Excellent teaching coach.
Isn’t it sad that an excellent teaching coach is not what we assume a veteran player wants. “I know how to play and I don’t want to learn nothing.”