Longtime Bucks assistant Charles Lee may be among the finalists for the Raptors‘ head coaching job, according to Marc Stein, who writes at Substack that Lee is believed to have had a second interview with the team.
Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com reported on Friday evening (via Twitter) that the completion of some NBA coaching staffs has been delayed because teams are waiting to see whether Lee will end up in Toronto.
Lee is reportedly receiving consideration for multiple teams as an assistant, so if he’s hired by the Raptors or another team, it could have a domino effect on his other suitors, who would have to look elsewhere.
Lee is a former Bucknell shooting guard who played professionally in international basketball leagues for several seasons. He has been a longtime assistant under Mike Budenholzer, first with the Hawks (2014-18) and then with the Bucks (since 2018). With Budenholzer seemingly set to take a year off, it appears Lee will seek a new opportunity outside of Milwaukee.
The Raptors’ head coaching search is the only one yet to be completed, and there hasn’t been much solid reporting on which candidates are among the finalists. As Stein writes, Virtus Bologna coach Sergio Scariolo, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, and Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic are thought to still be in the running. Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez had also been mentioned as a possible finalist, but recent reporting suggests he’s not a frontrunner.
Not any more
They want him to be the lead assistant