Now that the Nets‘ season is over, the team’s long-anticipated search for a permanent new head coach can get underway. And as we learned earlier this month, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is expected to be atop Brooklyn’s wish list.
Popovich has given no indication that he wants to continue his career anywhere besides San Antonio, but the Nets will explore the possibility of luring the Spurs legend to Brooklyn, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
As Charania details, the Nets have a number of connections to Popovich and the Spurs, with general manager Sean Marks, assistant GM Andy Birdsong, and assistant coach Tiago Splitter among those who previously worked with or played for Popovich. Additionally, sources tell The Athletic that Popovich has long been a favorite of Kevin Durant, dating back to Oklahoma City’s 2015 head coaching search.
According to Charania, the Nets’ interest in Popovich is widely considered a pipe dream, but the team will still exhaust the possibility. They’d need to be granted permission to speak to him and would almost certainly need to send the Spurs some sort of compensation if talks became serious.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- While Jacque Vaughn continues to receive consideration for the Nets’ permanent head coaching position, Durant and Kyrie Irving are interested in a “higher profile head coach,” according to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, who cites Popovich and Tyronn Lue as possibilities in that vein.
- Vaughn expressed confidence following the end of the Nets’ season that he’s the right person for the club’s permanent head coaching role, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “What I am confident in is my skill set as a coach, my ability to communicate and have relationship with guys, my ability to adjust on the fly, adjust with individuals,” Vaughn said. “Those things I’m very comfortable with, comfortable at this stage of my career of having a voice and choice with my players.”
- Veteran swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who emerged as one of the Nets’ more reliable contributors during the summer restart, told a French outlet that he enjoys playing in Brooklyn and wants to remain with the team, as NetsDaily relays. The former first-round pick has a non-guaranteed $1.82MM salary for 2020/21, which looks like a pretty solid value based on TLC’s play this summer.
- In an Insider-only ESPN.com article, Bobby Marks previews the Nets’ offseason, exploring Joe Harris‘ potential cost in free agency, what it would take to trade for a third star, and much more.
Make Pop the offer he can’t refuse
Bring Pop and Tim Duncan to the Nets
Pop should retire. He is a has been. However he does deserve to live in New Jersey
Never been to NJ, huh ?
Which part are we talking about? Up north has a lot of nice suburbs outside NYC, but then there’s the Jersey Shore area full of Snooki’s friends and all the other rejects where nobody wants to live.
Pop is a has been? Give me some of what you’re smokin man.
Pop would definitely be considered high profile, but I wouldn’t put Lue in Pop’s class. Yes, Lue has a ring, but how much of that is due to LeBron? I think Vaughn should get the shot. He’s earned it with what he got out of a depleted roster. With the full team back and resigning Joey Buckets (hopefully), the only two others that would definitely be in the main rotation from the bubble squad would be Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert. That team wouldn’t have been steamrolled by the Raptors.
I believe Lue should be their primary target due to his chemistry with Kyrie and history coaching a contending team. Although, Vaughn would be a very strong fallback option, having overachieved with a devastated Brooklyn squad. If he gets spurned for the full-time position, Chicago should inquire
lol
Nobody puts Lue in Popovich’s class. Vaughn is also being considered, so it’s Popovich, Lue and Vaughn. Pretty much in that order.
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An additive related to listing…
If I was on Sesame Street it would go like:
Conjunction junction, what’s your function?
Hooking up boxcars related or not
Conjunction junction, how’s that function?
But, or, and, or mark a punctuation!