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2024 NBA Draft Lottery Primer

May 11th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2024 NBA draft lottery will take place on Sunday afternoon prior to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Knicks and Pacers. The half-hour event will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at 2:00 pm Central time.

While the 2023 draft class featured surefire No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama – widely considered to be the best prospect to enter the NBA since LeBron James – 2024’s class has no clear-cut frontrunner to be the first player off the board, with Alexandre Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, and a handful of other prospects expected to be in that mix.

That lack of clarity at the top of the draft will make the results of the 2024 lottery a little less meaningful than in past years, but it’s safe to assume that the teams with a shot at the No. 1 overall pick will still be hoping their logo is the one on the final card revealed by the NBA on Sunday afternoon.

Here’s what you need to know heading into Sunday’s lottery:

Pre-Lottery Draft Order:

The top 14 picks in the 2024 NBA draft would look like this if tonight’s lottery results don’t change the order:

  1. Detroit Pistons
  2. Washington Wizards
  3. Charlotte Hornets
  4. Portland Trail Blazers
  5. San Antonio Spurs
  6. Toronto Raptors
    • Note: The Spurs will receive this pick if it falls out of the top six (54.2%).
  7. Memphis Grizzlies
  8. Utah Jazz
    • Note: The Thunder will receive this pick if it falls out of the top 10 (0.5%).
  9. Houston Rockets
  10. Atlanta Hawks
  11. Chicago Bulls
  12. Oklahoma City Thunder
    • Note: The Rockets will receive this pick if it moves into the top four (7.2%).
  13. Sacramento Kings
  14. Portland Trail Blazers
    • Note: The Warriors will receive this pick if it moves into the top four (3.4%).

For the full pre-lottery draft order, click here.

Draft Lottery Odds:

The Pistons and Wizards have the best odds to land the No. 1 pick. Each of those two teams has a 14.0% chance to pick first overall.

From there, the Hornets (13.3%), Trail Blazers (13.2%), Spurs (10.5%), Raptors (9.0%), Grizzlies (7.5%), Jazz (6%), and Rockets (6% across two picks) have the next-best odds to receive the first overall selection.

When the NBA introduced its new lottery format in 2019, the selling point was that the new system flattened the odds, making it less likely that the league’s very worst teams would claim a top pick.

Before the NBA tweaked the lottery rules, there was a 60.5% chance that one of the league’s bottom three teams would secure the No. 1 pick and only a 27.6% chance that a team in the 5-14 range of the lottery standings would do so. Now, those odds are 42.0% and 45.5%, respectively.

Still, there haven’t been many major surprises in the years since the new format was implemented.

The Pelicans moved up from No. 7 in the lottery standings in 2019 to claim the first overall pick, which they used on Zion Williamson. Since then though, every team to win the draft lottery has been in the top three in the lottery standings.

Perhaps we’re due for a more significant shake-up in 2024. There’s a 18.5% chance that a team in the back half of the lottery (Nos. 8-14) wins the No. 1 pick. That works out to better than 1-in-6 odds, and this will be the sixth time the NBA has employed its revamped lottery format.

For this year’s full draft lottery odds for all 14 spots, click here.

For full details on the current lottery format, click here.

Trades Affecting The Draft Lottery:

The Raptors traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Spurs, but would keep that selection if it lands within the top six. There’s a 45.8% chance that will happen and a 54.2% chance it will slip to No. 7 or below and be sent to San Antonio. If Toronto retains its first-rounder this year, the club would instead owe its 2025 first-round pick (top-six protected) to the Spurs.

The Jazz would owe the Thunder their first-round pick if it lands outside of the top 10, but since Utah will enter Sunday at No. 8 in the lottery standings, there’s only a 0.5% chance of that happening. In all likelihood, the Jazz will instead owe their top-10 protected 2025 first-rounder to Oklahoma City.

The Rockets acquired the Nets‘ unprotected first-round pick, which will likely land at either No. 9 (50.7%) or No. 10 (25.9%). However, Houston’s own first-rounder has a 92.8% chance of being sent to the Thunder. It will probably be the No. 12 pick, but if it moves into the top four (7.2%), the Rockets would keep it.

Finally, the Warriors‘ first-round pick, which projects to be No. 14, will almost certainly be sent to the Trail Blazers. There’s a 96.6% chance it will be the 14th overall pick and be sent to Portland and just a 3.4% chance it will move into the top four and be retained by Golden State.

Draft Lottery Representatives:

The representatives for each of this year’s lottery teams are as follows, according to a pair of announcements from the NBA:

  1. Detroit Pistons

    • On stage: Ausar Thompson
    • Lottery room: Jon Phelps (senior director of basketball strategy)
  2. Washington Wizards

  3. Charlotte Hornets

  4. Portland Trail Blazers

  5. San Antonio Spurs

    • On stage: Brian Wright (general manager)
    • Lottery room: Brandon Leibsohn (senior manager of basketball strategy and legal affairs)
  6. Toronto Raptors

    • On stage: Scottie Barnes
    • Lottery room: Dan Tolzman (assistant GM / VP of player personnel)
  7. Memphis Grizzlies

    • On stage: Tayshaun Prince (VP of basketball affairs)
    • Lottery room: Zach Kleiman (president of basketball operations)
  8. Utah Jazz

    • On stage: Thurl Bailey (former Jazz player / current Jazz broadcaster)
    • Lottery room: Danny Ainge (CEO)
  9. Houston Rockets

    • On stage: Ime Udoka (head coach)
    • Lottery room: Sam Strantz (associate legal counsel)
  10. Atlanta Hawks

    • On stage: Landry Fields (general manager)
    • Lottery room: Daniel Starkman (VP of player personnel)
  11. Chicago Bulls

  12. Oklahoma City Thunder
    • On stage: None
    • Lottery room: None
    • Note: The Thunder won’t have any representatives on hand because they don’t have a path to a top-four pick.
  13. Sacramento Kings

    • On stage: Keegan Murray
    • Lottery room: John Kehriotis (minority owner / executive board member)
  14. Golden State Warriors

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Suns Hire Mike Budenholzer As Head Coach

May 11th, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Dana Gauruder

May 11: The Suns have officially announced the hiring of Budenholzer, making it official in a press release.

“Mike’s exceptional basketball acumen, championship pedigree and his standing as one of the NBA’s premier coaches will be invaluable as we compete for a championship,” Suns general manager James Jones said in a statement. “We’re confident that under his leadership our team will reach new levels of success.”

May 10, 5:32pm: Budenholzer and the Suns have agreed to a five-year deal worth in excess of $50MM, sources tell Charania (Twitter link).

May 10, 11:05am: The Suns are hiring Budenholzer, the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin tweets.

The hiring will “most likely” be officially completed this weekend, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter links), who adds that Phoenix liked Budenholzer’s “ability to hold players accountable.”

May 10, 9:24am: The Suns are planning to hire Mike Budenholzer as their head coach, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Budenholzer’s multi-year contract is expected to approach eight figures per year, Charania adds.

It’s a swift move by Suns owner Mat Ishbia and the front office, as they announced the firing of Frank Vogel on Thursday. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported later in the day on Thursday that Budenholzer was the frontrunner for the job.

Like Vogel, who lasted just one season with Phoenix, Budenholzer brings a championship résumé to a roster with three stars — Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal — and a collection of role players, mostly on veteran’s minimum contracts.

“They view Mike Budenholzer as a clear choice that can really come in there and optimize those three guys,” Charania said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back program (video link). “That’s really where this all hinges at, that the big three (is) being fully maximized and utilized the right way offensively.”

A two-time Coach of the Year and an Arizona native, Budenholzer won a championship with Milwaukee in 2021. He coached the Hawks for five seasons and the Bucks for five seasons, compiling a 484-317 regular season record and a 56-48 mark in the postseason.

Phoenix had the league’s third-highest payroll in ’23/24, and that figure is projected to continue to grow in ’24/25. The Suns have very little flexibility to make roster changes, due to their salary being above the second tax apron, so changing coaches is one of the few ways of shaking things up unless they look to move one of their stars.

In a full story for The Athletic, Charania, Doug Haller and Eric Nehm report that David Fizdale, Vogel’s top assistant, is expected to be offered a front office role with Phoenix. However, the belief is that Fizdale will turn down that offer.

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Rockets Interested In Trading 2024 Pick For Future Draft Assets

May 10th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Luke Adams

After having selected nine players in the first rounds of the past three drafts, the Rockets aren’t eager to add another young prospect to their roster for the 2024/25 season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

As Feigen explains, the Rockets are more interested in adding to their stockpile of future draft assets by trading their 2024 lottery pick to a team willing to give up picks in 2025 and beyond. A person with knowledge of the team’s thinking tells The Chronicle that those efforts have been “ongoing” for several months and are expected to continue leading up to draft day on June 26.

Barring an unexpected development in Sunday’s draft lottery, the Rockets’ project to have this year’s No. 9 overall pick, which initially belonged to Brooklyn. Houston’s own first-rounder, which projects to be No. 12, will be sent to Oklahoma City unless it moves into the top four. In that scenario, the Rockets would hang onto it and would hold two lottery picks, but the odds of that happening are just 7.1%.

Reports earlier this year indicated that the Rockets inquired about Nets forward Mikal Bridges prior to February’s trade deadline and were willing to give up a combination of Jalen Green and some of Brooklyn’s first-round picks that Houston controls. However, according to Feigen, the Rockets’ primary goal in those talks with the Nets was to push back their collection of draft picks.

Two sources familiar with the teams’ discussions tell Feigen that Houston general manager Rafael Stone sought the Suns’ draft assets controlled by Brooklyn in exchange for Nets assets held by the Rockets. It’s unclear based on Feigen’s wording whether Stone was willing to return control of all of Brooklyn’s picks in exchange for all of the Nets’ Phoenix assets or if just some picks on either side were involved in those talks.

Either way, Brooklyn “quickly dismissed” the idea, per The Chronicle, since the Nets wanted to focus on its efforts to be a playoff team rather than pivoting to a rebuild and bottoming out in order to fully take advantage of having their own draft picks back.

In addition to controlling the Nets’ lottery pick this year, the Rockets own Brooklyn’s unprotected 2026 first-rounder and have swap rights in 2025 and 2027. The Nets, in turn, hold the Suns’ first-rounders in 2025, 2027, and 2029 (all unprotected), with swap rights in 2028.

Assuming the Nets don’t want to revisit that concept, Feigen suggests Houston could reach out to another team that has accumulated several extra future first-round selections, such as Utah or Oklahoma City. However, the Jazz made three first-round picks last year and have two more first-rounders this year, including one that’s projected to be No. 8, ahead of Houston’s top pick.

The Thunder, meanwhile, may not be looking to add a rookie to a deep roster that appears increasingly close to title contention. However, it’s worth noting – especially if Oklahoma City ends up picking three spots behind Houston – that OKC has shown a willingness to trade up in the first round in recent years to ensure it lands its top targets. The Thunder moved up from No. 12 to No. 10 last year to nab Cason Wallace.

The Rockets’ efforts will be complicated by the fact that the top of the 2024 draft class is widely considered to be weaker than usual, so the No. 9 pick this year wouldn’t necessarily be equivalent in value to No. 9 in a typical draft. But for the sake of comparison, the last time a selection in that range was traded exclusively for future draft assets, the Knicks received three protected first-rounders from the Thunder in exchange for the No. 11 pick in 2022.

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Brian Keefe Top Candidate For Wizards’ Coaching Job?

May 10th, 2024 at 12:26pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards are expected to start interviewing candidates for their head coaching vacancy within the next few days, a team source told Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

Brian Keefe, who finished out the 2023/24 season as interim head coach, is viewed by sources from three rival teams as the top candidate for the job, they told Robbins.

Robbins’ sources also speculated that the Wizards might be eyeing Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, and Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney as potential candidates.

Washington’s coaching search has been very quiet since the regular season concluded. Multiple staff members were reportedly let go three weeks ago, but the Wizards retained Keefe and assistant coach David Vanterpool.

Multiple reports have stated Keefe will be in the running for the permanent job despite compiling a 8-31 record in his 39 games. He has a “strong player-development background,” Robbins writes, and players were very supportive of Keefe when the season ended. Jordan Poole, for instance, performed much better after Keefe decided to bring him off the bench to be a primary ball-handler and play-maker, Robbins notes.

“I can really only just really speak on the stuff that B.K. has brought since he’s been here, and I think he’s been really good for our young team: the detail-orientedness that he brings, the structure that he brings,” Poole said after the regular season ended. “He loves the game, and that’s something that goes a really long way, especially at the highest level. And he’s willing and very genuine and authentic about putting our team (and) putting guys in positions to be successful and play to their strengths and really unlocking them because he cares about them as individuals. He’s done a really good job.”

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Pacers’ Rick Carlisle Fined $35K For Criticizing Officials

May 10th, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has been fined $35K by the NBA for public criticism of the officiating, as well as questioning the integrity of the league and its officials, the league’s communications department announced (via Twitter).

Carlisle was ejected late in the fourth quarter of the team’s Game 2 loss to the Knicks on Wednesday. Then, during his postgame media session, he criticized the officiating in both games of the series, claiming that “small-market teams” don’t get the same calls as the big-market clubs.

“I’m always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials,” Carlisle said. “But we deserve a fair shot. There’s not a consistent balance, and that’s disappointing. Give New York credit for the physicality that they’re playing with. But their physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized. Time after time. I’m just really disappointed.”

The Pacers reportedly submitted 78 plays to the league on Thursday, covering the first two games, that they felt were incorrectly called.

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Glen Davis Sentenced To 40 Months In Prison For Involvement In Fraud Scheme

May 9th, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man Glen Davis, who played for the Celtics, Magic, and Clippers across eight NBA seasons from 2007-15, has been sentenced by a federal judge to 40 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to defraud the league’s health and welfare benefit plan, according to Alex Prewitt of ESPN.

Davis was one of 18 former NBA players originally charged back in 2021 over the fraud scheme, which involved submitting false claims for millions of dollars in dental and medical expenses that were never incurred.

According to Prewitt, Davis was found guilty of multiple fraud charges, as well as conspiring to make false statements, and was ordered to pay $80K in restitution. His sentence also includes three years’ supervised release following his time in prison — as part of his supervised release, he’ll be required to attend a financial management class and receive mandatory drug treatment.

Former NBA swingman Terrence Williams, the alleged ringleader of the operation, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last summer. Keyon Dooling (30 months), Alan Anderson (24 months), and Will Bynum (18 months) are among the other former players who have been sentenced to time in prison. Tony Allen, perhaps the most notable NBA veteran involved in the case, avoided prison and was sentenced to community service and supervision.

The 35th overall pick of the 2007 draft out of LSU, Davis spent his first four NBA seasons in Boston, earning Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year votes during that time and winning a championship as a rookie in 2008.

The 6’9″ forward/center, also known as “Big Baby,” was traded to Orlando in 2011 and spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Magic before concluding his NBA career with a season-and-a-half as a Clipper. He averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game across 514 career regular season appearances.

According to Prewitt, some of Davis’ former coaches and multiple NBPA officials, including executive director Andre Iguodala, sent pre-sentencing documents to the court on the 38-year-old’s behalf, requesting leniency. Davis’ defense attorney Sabrina Shroff argued for a time-served sentence with requirements for “community service, mental health therapy, and treatment for a cannabis addiction,” Prewitt adds.

However, the judge opted for a harsher sentence, siding with the prosecution, which argued that Davis made a “sophisticated and intelligent effort” to cover up his misconduct. Davis had maintained his innocence throughout the legal process, per Prewitt.

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Knicks’ Anunoby Has Hamstring Strain, Out For Game 3

May 9th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are listing forward OG Anunoby as out for Game 3 of their first-round series vs. the Pacers on Friday due to a left hamstring strain, per the NBA’s latest injury report. Anunoby sustained the injury during New York’s Game 2 win on Wednesday.

Anunoby is the latest addition to a growing list of injured Knicks frontcourt players. The team was already missing Julius Randle entering the postseason due to season-ending shoulder surgery. Since the playoffs began, Bojan Bogdanovic has gone down with foot and wrist injuries, while Mitchell Robinson was diagnosed with a stress injury in his left ankle. Both Bogdanovic and Robinson are expected to miss the rest of the postseason.

Anunoby missed several weeks during the second half of the season due to an elbow issue, but he had been playing heavy minutes since his return. He averaged 41.6 MPG in the first round vs. Philadelphia and logged 42 minutes in Game 1 vs. Indiana before exiting Game 2 early.

The Knicks have leaned heavily on their starters since the postseason began, but playing without Anunoby may force head coach Tom Thibodeau to promote one or more of his little-used reserves into the rotation.

Even if Jalen Brunson, who is listed as questionable for Game 3 due to right foot soreness, is fine to suit up, Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein, Miles McBride, and Precious Achiuwa are the only available Knicks who have seen any real action in the playoffs.

Alec Burks, who got off the bench for 44 seconds at the end of the first half in Game 1, looks like the top candidate to potentially enter the rotation. Shake Milton, Jericho Sims, DaQuan Jeffries, and Mamadi Diakite make up the rest of New York’s 15-man roster.

The Knicks have yet to make any official announcement on Anunoby’s injury, but depending on the severity of the strain, it’s the sort of ailment that could certainly sideline him for more than just one game.

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Suns Fire Frank Vogel

May 9th, 2024 at 3:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns have fired head coach Frank Vogel, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Sam Amick of The Athletic).

“After a thoughtful review of the season, we concluded that we needed a different head coach for our team,” said president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones. “We appreciate Frank’s hard work and commitment. We are here to win a championship and last season was way below our expectations.”

The news was first broken by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who says (via Twitter) former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer will be a “prominent part” of Phoenix’s new coaching search.

The Suns dismissed Vogel, who won a championship as head coach of the Lakers in 2020, after just 11 months on the job. When he was hired last June, he reportedly received a five-year, $31MM contract.

It was an up-and-down 2023/24 season for Vogel and the Suns, who entered the campaign with championship aspirations but were swept in their first-round playoff series by the Timberwolves. Minnesota currently leads its second-round series with the defending-champion Nuggets 2-0 after winning a pair of games in Denver.

Phoenix went 49-33 during the regular season, claiming the West’s No. 6 seed entering the playoffs. Injuries, holes on the roster, and positional/skill overlap were issues throughout ’23/24.

The Suns’ gig was Vogel’s fourth NBA head coaching job. He coached the Pacers for five-and-a-half seasons from 2011-16, moved to Orlando from 2016-18, and was the Lakers’ leader for three years from 2019-22. He was an assistant with Boston, Philadelphia and Indiana before the Pacers promoted him mid-season in 2011.

Phoenix will be looking for another head coach for the second straight offseason, as the team dismissed former Coach of the Year Monty Williams, who led the team to an NBA Finals appearance in 2021, last year.

Owner Mat Ishbia has made several eyebrow-raising moves since he took majority control in 2023, pushing for a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant and then adding another maximum-salary player in Bradley Beal last offseason. Ishbia and Jones projected optimism at a press conference following the team’s playoff ouster, yet ultimately made another major change by firing Vogel.

While Jones’ job is safe, Phoenix will be making other front office changes, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who reports (All Twitter links) that the coaching search will likely only feature two or three names, with former NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick not among the candidates. Budenholzer is the current frontrunner, Gambadoro confirms, adding that a decision should be made by next week.

Phoenix had the league’s third-highest payroll in ’23/24, and that figure is projected to continue to grow in ’24/25. Whomever is hired will obviously face intense pressure to produce immediate results next season.

As our tracker shows, the Nets and Hornets have concluded their coaching searches in 2024, while the Suns join the Lakers and Wizards as teams with ongoing searches.

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NBA Suspends Patrick Beverley Four Games Without Pay

May 9th, 2024 at 1:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has suspended Bucks guard Patrick Beverley four games without pay for “forcefully throwing a basketball multiple times at spectators and an inappropriate interaction with a reporter during media availability,” the league announced on Thursday (Twitter link).

Since Beverley is an impending free agent, it isn’t yet known how much he will be fined, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Assuming he’s able to land a new contract, Beverley will serve the suspension at the start of 2024/25.

The incidents in question came a week ago, both during and after Milwaukee’s Game 6 loss to Indiana. The defeat ended the Bucks’ season.

Late in the fourth quarter, Beverley first threw a ball that appeared to miss its mark, a male Pacers fan, instead hitting an unsuspecting female in the side of the head (Twitter video link). When the male fan retrieved the ball and lightly tossed it back to Beverley, he immediately threw it back at the male fan with considerably more force.

The Athletic subsequently reported that a fan — presumably the male fan — was directing obscenities toward Beverley leading up to the incident. Yesterday, The Athletic reported that Indianapolis police were reviewing the altercation. It’s unclear if it will lead to criminal charges.

The second incident in question came when Beverley grew agitated with ESPN producer Malinda Adams because she wasn’t subscribed to his podcast (Twitter video link). After stating she couldn’t be present at his media session for that reason, he subsequently pushed her microphone away and later asked her to leave the circle of reporters around his locker.

The 35-year-old reportedly had been telling media members they couldn’t interview him unless they were subscribed to his podcast since Milwaukee acquired him in a deadline-deal from Philadelphia.

“Patrick Beverley’s behavior towards ESPN producer Malinda Adams was unacceptable, unprofessional and failed to meet the standard that NBA players consistently meet in their interactions with the media,” said NBA spokesperson Tim Frank, per Howard Beck of The Ringer (Twitter link).

Beverley and the Bucks reached out to Adams to apologize the following day.

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Hornets Hire Charles Lee As Head Coach

May 9th, 2024 at 7:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have formally named Steve Clifford‘s successor, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired former Celtics assistant Charles Lee as their new head coach.

Lee will finish his playoff run in Boston before officially joining the Hornets, according to the announcement. Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that Lee will sign a four-year contract with Charlotte.

“We are excited to welcome Charles Lee as the head coach of Charlotte Hornets,” Hornets head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said in a statement. “His high character and his ability to connect with players while also instilling a culture of accountability will serve us well as we construct a competitive team built for long-term success.

“Charles possesses a championship pedigree with a wide range of basketball knowledge and NBA experience, has a tremendous work ethic and is a great communicator. He shares our vision for this organization, and I look forward to partnering with him in building something special here in the Carolinas.”

Long viewed as the frontrunner in the Hornets’ head coaching search, Lee spent several years playing professionally in international leagues from 2006-10 before transitioning into coaching.

He was an assistant at Bucknell from 2012-14, then worked under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta from 2014-18 and in Milwaukee from 2018-23, winning a title with the Bucks in 2021. Following Budenholzer’s ouster last year, Lee was hired by the Celtics as Joe Mazzulla‘s lead assistant for the 2023/24 season.

Lee has been one of the NBA’s most popular head coaching candidates in recent years. He either interviewed with or received consideration from the Celtics, Pelicans, Magic, and Wizards in 2021; the Hornets, Lakers, Kings, and Jazz in 2022; and the Pistons, Bucks, Suns, and Raptors in 2023.

Lee has a preexisting relationship with Peterson, who worked in Atlanta’s front office when Lee was a Hawks assistant. Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall was a minority stakeholder in the Hawks at that time.

Charlotte had been in the market for a new head coach because Clifford announced in early April that he would be stepping down from his position. He’s reportedly expected to transition into a front office role following his second stint coaching the Hornets.

Lee will take over a Hornets team that is still very much in retooling mode, though there are some intriguing foundational pieces in place, led by forward Brandon Miller and guard LaMelo Ball. Miller finished third in Rookie of the Year voting this spring; Ball has battled ankle issues in recent years, but is a former Rookie of the Year who has an All-Star berth under his belt and is still just 22 years old.

The Hornets are the second team to complete a head coaching search since the regular season ended, joining the Nets (Jordi Fernandez). The Wizards and Lakers continue to seek new coaches.

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