The Nets intend to hire Ime Udoka to replace Steve Nash as their head coach, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Udoka is technically still the Celtics‘ head coach, but he has been suspended for the 2022/23 season after allegedly engaging in an improper relationship with a female subordinate. Boston granted Brooklyn permission to speak to Udoka and will allow him to leave freely, sources tell Charania.
In the wake of Nash’s departure from the franchise, Charania initially reported (via Twitter) that Udoka had emerged as the “strong frontrunner” for the Nets’ job, adding that the team was still doing its due diligence, but had begun talking to the Celtics’ coach. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN subsequently stated (via Twitter) that Brooklyn could hire Udoka within the next 24-to-48 hours.
A former assistant in San Antonio and Philadelphia, Udoka spent a season on the Nets’ staff under Nash in 2020/21 before being hired by the Celtics. Brooklyn’s hope, Wojnarowski tweets, is that Udoka will be able to tighten up the club’s defense and command the respect of the Nets’ stars, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), the Nets have been vetting Udoka for the last few days, presumably gathering more information about his conduct that led to his suspension – and now his potential exit – from the Celtics.
Wojnarowski said several weeks ago that Udoka would face a “difficult pathway” back to his job with the Celtics after being replaced by this season by Joe Mazzulla. Wojnarowski’s report indicated that an independent investigation into Udoka’s conduct found that he used “crude language” toward the female subordinate prior to beginning an improper relationship with her, which was said to be a significant factor in the length of his suspension.
In his first season as a head coach, Udoka led the Celtics to a 51-31 record and a spot in the NBA Finals. Given his job performance on the court, the fact that Boston appears willing to let Udoka go to a division rival without any compensation speaks to how the team felt about his off-court behavior.
The Nets have been at the center of many of the NBA’s biggest stories in recent months, including Durant’s extended offseason trade saga, Irving’s promotion of an antisemitic film on social media, and Ben Simmons‘ struggle to recapture his All-Star form following a 16-month layoff. Hiring Udoka following his ugly exit from the Celtics figures to only add to the drama in Brooklyn.
Until Udoka’s hiring is official, Jacque Vaughn is reportedly expected to serve as the Nets’ interim head coach, starting on Tuesday night when the team hosts the Bulls.
Im grabbing popcorn for this.
Win at all cost. I’m sure the RNC is going to be jumping up and down on us.
YESSSSSS LFG
We just found the only excited Nets fan in existence.
I’m not a nets fan lol…… Nets fans are definitely happy about the firing of Nash…… they can finally compete for a championship with a good coach.
@ styles
No way this roster can compete for a ‘chip.
Ime Udoka is the right Head Coach for the job. I hope he gets the Brooklyn Nets job. I love to see black head coaches get to coach talented rosters. I think Kevin Durant Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons are the type of pieces he can work with.
He will have them playing the way they supposed to be playing.
Steve Nash can’t coach at all and you don’t want him coaching no roster in the NBA.
Even a head coach who sexually harasses women?
L O L …
Holy sh*t lol It just keeps getting better and better
That’s pathetic on both parties
Why for free? If he’s still employed by the Celtics they should get something for him..
Then again who would want anything from a team like the Nets
If I’m the Celtics I take Cam Thomas and get the hell out of that situation.
Free??? Nets will free Celtics from the 5 yr guarantee contract… it’s the Celtics that should be grateful…
Boston’s laughing more than they did when they got the #1 overall pick from Brooklyn in 2017…
They get out of any remaining money he would have been owed since I think he signed 3-4 year contract. No fighting in court just done.
And EVERY female employee in the Celtics organization gets a very nice monetary gift card at the annual company Christmas party, with Ime’s salary the rest of the year!
Call me crazy but isn’t this tampering of the highest order? So they took Philly and the Bulls for 2nd rd. picks for making a couple of early phone calls, What do the Nets get sacked for jumping the gun 5 years?
Because Boston granted them permission.
The Nets would be doing the Celtics a favor. Why would the Celtics care?
What you are missing is that the Nets asked Boston for permission first and the reason he’s not signed this minute is that they are negotiating compensation. Boston had said they will not stand in the way of Ime getting another job with a team.
Dysfunction, thy name is the Nets!
Hey, at least KD finally got what he wanted during the summer, or at least half of it with the firing of Nash. Now, only Marks stands in the way of KD and Irving running the team.
This dude literally f***ed around and got a new job
he f’ed around and found a new employer
Seeing as it probably can’t get worse I think the Nets made a good move.
Udoka thought nothing of calling out Jaylen Brown in post game comments last year. I’m sure that’ll go over well when he calls out Kyrie and/or Simmons for lackluster play
Great idea but hide your wives!!!
What now? Are they going to go ahead and pick up Primo?
Yes, after he is normal
Why not?
Miles Bridges as well if they go ahead with this hire
Ringmaster of the sh*tshow. The Nets finally found someone as dysfunctional as them. KD, Cryrie, Ben Simmons, Ime Udoka, who’s next? Bring in Miles Bridges on a minimum-salary deal? Sign Meyers Leonard?
The NBA shouldn’t let this happen…
Someone that needs a change of pace floor stretching big should bring in Leonard. His main offense was being ignorant and it was a one time thing.
Odd he never got another job.
Leonard is a bit of a meathead beyond his video game snafu, plus he wasn’t really that good, so it’s deeper than just calling someone a word that rhymes with bike.
When you think about the need for bigs who shoot 3s it’s definitely odd he is still unemployed. Agreed on the meathead and not that good, but he was playing more than Olynyk on the Heat at times.
I’m pretty sure he has also had a couple of injuries he has dealt with since then
Meyers Leonard was tossed to the curb after a single instance of anti Semitic rhetoric. Kyrie continually does it and faces no consequences.
Add a clause where he has to book his own travel
He books his own “friends” every night… isn’t that enough?
This is a great move Udoka is one of the best coaches in the league
He is, when he isnt being suspended for f***ing employees
Stupidest … he was just lucky last yr and will never be able to get respect of players or the staff…
Then again, Nash didn’t have their respect either. Eventually Joe Tsai will realize that nobody can coach the Nets to victory and just trade KD and/or Kyrie
It’s like the Nets try their hardest to make themselves as unlikeable as possible. I guess they figured “Hey, it can’t get any worse. Might as well lean into the awfulness”.
The funny thing is they may not be wrong. Because for as much as such a move may upset fans, some of whom will say the franchise has crossed a red line that they cannot continue to support, if the team manages to turn things around some of those folks will lose their moral outage and quietly come back. Easy to play the ethics card when the team is bad.
Of course, the flip side is also true: if the Nets continue to suck and implode, the damage caused by this move will just make things so much worse. Speaking of, I wonder how sponsors and partners are going to react to this move, if they do anything at all.
PS – as a Knicks fan, I guess I can say they dodged a bullet a couple of off seasons back. Not like they’ve been much good since then either, but at least it’s a case of not having great talent instead of having it and pissing it away.
Letting him go for nothing is STUPID
It’s actually genius. They get out from under the contract, an awkward situation, and potential legal issues while the Nets take all the blame. It’s the best case scenario.
Celtics should be getting a first round pick as compensation
They should get something…
Nah
The news has been leaked. Might as well leverage it.
The Celtics could.
They could also let the Nets try to sell their fans on hiring someone currently suspended for workplace harassment. They could let the Nets try to sell the non-KD and Kyrie members of their locker room on respecting a guy who cheated on his wife with a subordinate.
Sure seems like the Celtics won this one. They should just grab a beer and move on.
This man was suspended by his old employer and got a gig with a new one while sitting out when the new one knew full well what he did. No chance that happens with any of us, or honestly with a lot of NBA head coaches unless you’re like Udoka and just took a team to the Finals.
Still the guy gets off scot-free for an inappropriate workplace relationship. I imagine the league may have something to say about this.
Why would one employer make themselves beholden to the internal rules of another?
Because they aren’t just a single employer’s rules. If Udoka does what he did again it could get the Nets sued into the stratosphere. They’re right to do their due diligence.
Well ideally they don’t hire the guy, but if they want to fall on that sword they ought not to get sued at the end of it I suppose.
“Internal rules” is an interesting way to phrase behavior that virtually all employers would frown upon and discipline for.
Of course, we don’t have the full story to work with. But if it’s true that Udoka’s offenses included unwanted advances, I think that would go beyond “internal rules”.
I’m sure the Nets, like most large businesses, have rules that workplace relationships need to be disclosed to HR.
If you make enough money for an employer you’d be surprised at how much you can get away with. You only face consequences if you’re replaceable or if the juice is no longer worth the squeeze. Tragic really.
If the league wanted to do anything they could have already . I doubt they do anything now . Only one this look bad for is Boston. Nets did what everyone would if they were offer a chance to get a coach like him
Celtics Vs Nets in East Finals would be intenseeeee
Nets will not make the playoff. More like lottery team….
I would take that bet
lol what? omg lol that’s hilarious… hide your women, hide your wives.
This is typical of the Nets. Bad karma coming their way
Can’t wait for the Nets to play the Celts and get swept both reg. And post-season
Anyone who thinks the Lakers are toxic should look at the Nets
Aside from whatever was going on with Russ and them . They are nothing like kd Ben and lriving .
Lakers are just a disaster on the court more than anything… the team itself doesn’t seem to be toxic. The Nets embody that word.
Did a hell of a job in Boston and repaired a rift between brown and Tatum if I’m not mistaken. Seems like the perfect candidate from a basketball perspective, in my opinion.
From a basketball perspective yes, he seems like a good coach, but there’s this whole off-court element involved here that you can’t just ignore or hand-wave away.
Agreed. I don’t like the Nets, but this is a smart basketball move if they can get it done.
Wouldn’t it be funny if Boston ended up hiring Steve Nash after this?
LMAO Nets are the biggest clown show in the league.
Is there a stipulation in Ime’s new contract that the Boston employee he banged be included in the deal?
Seen mention in comments above calling for Vogel to get the job. Good coach, sure, but if you have problems “handling” LeBron and Westbrook, you don’t say, “Here… we got Durant and Kyrie for ya!”
Udoka did a great job honing in Marcus Smart a lil bit, and he was with the Nets prior, so they (obviously) think they have a good feel for him. I’m sure they’ve inquired to a few staffers on if there were any overtures in his time there.
He’s worked with Simmons in Philly when he played his best ball.
Kiwi has to make the right call on this one or HIS job is on the line.
Side note: Nia Long absolutely loved being in Brooklyn. Maybe it’s a blessing for Udoka – a homerun that saves that relationship… and the Nets.
@ jump:
What problems are you saying Vogel had handling Lebron? He got a *title before the Lakers stupidly traded for Westbrook, the flawed roster (and Davis missing 42 games) certainly wasn’t his fault.
If 2 time MVP Steve Nash couldn’t “command the respect” of KD and Kyrie, what on earth makes the Nets think this guy will? Lmaoo
Udoka has cred as a coach.
Nash has none.
Udoka also has cred for other stuff
Just giving you the obvious answer to your question. Nash was an extremely odd choice.
It’s not any more odd than this choice. Sure, “good coach” but there are other factors that go into respecting someone as a leader, for me anyways.
Agreed… CurtRowe
They already respect Udoka from when he was an assistant there. And they saw first hand what he did as a rookie HC w Boston.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Durant and Kyrie don’t take much stock in Nash’s mvp trophies – they both feel they are better players than Nash was. And, hell, one of those guys (guess which one) likely told him to his face those were Kobe’s mvp’s. If they can get Ben on a foam roller and loosen up that back, the Nets can be a factor in the East.
It’s hard to command “respect” as a “head coach” when you have absolutely no idea what you are doing as head coach! Steve Nash never had a clue!
Remember, KD demanded a trade unless Nash was fired immediately during the summer!
Next headline: “Nets to sign Josh Primo to 5 yr $100MM contract”
No need to sign him to big $$$$. He is under contract and being paid by San Antonio for the next 2 years. You only have to pay him the NBA minimum salary.
Sean Marks denied they have decided to hire Udoka
Good move by Brooklyn. Udoka knows how to run a team and get guys to buy in. Perfect guy for the job.
But the Nets don’t need a coach, just ask’em and they’ll tell you.
Agreed…
They already respect Udoka from when he was an assistant there. And they saw first gand what he did as a rookie HC w Boston.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Durant and Kyrie don’t take much stock in Nash’s mvp trophies – hell, one of those guys (guess which one) likely told him to his face those were Kobe’s mvp’s. If they can get Ben on a foam roller and loosen up that back, the Nets can be a factor in the East.
Udoka as coach still doesn’t solve the personnel issues Brooklyn still has.
The Brooklyn roster has some really nice pieces to work with, but they also have glaring holes.
Ben Simmons remains a huge problem. They are about to win for the second straight game WITHOUT Ben. Ben is bringing very little to the table right now, and is out of position at point guard. Ben Simmons is 5.
It will be interesting to see how the offense evolves. It is all KD and Kyrie right now.
Oh, they aren’t about to win.
Brooklyn investing a lot in KD and Kyrie. This season is the last shot that Brooklyn has at a title with these guys.
Father Time is undefeated.
The Udoka move needed to be made. Brooklyn was looking like a Play-In team under Nash. Udoka is the Hail Mary pass to try and salvage the last shot at a title.
Atleast he wasn’t displaying his genitalia to unsuspecting people, or beating his wife in front of his son. Can’t say I agree with Udoka based on what little I know, but moral terpitude, and real crime are separated for a reason. Ime hurt feelings, not people. Broken hearts don’t count in a lawful injury sense.
Right, but he can still be fired or disciplined by his employer. This happens every day in all industries and there are never any criminal charges involved.