Charles Lee Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers To Interview Bucks Assistant Charles Lee

May 12th, 2022 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers intend to interview Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee for their head coaching vacancy, having requested permission to speak to him, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

Lee, 37, played four seasons at Bucknell from 2002-06 prior to making international stops in Israel, Belgium and Germany. He started his NBA assistant coaching career in 2014 with Atlanta, and has spent the past eight seasons working with head coach Mike Budenholzer, winning a championship with Milwaukee last season.

Lee was reportedly a finalist for head coaching jobs in New Orleans and Washington last summer, and he has continued to receive interest this season. Within the past month, he has interviewed for the positions in Sacramento and Charlotte. The Kings ultimately hired Mike Brown to be their new head coach, but the Hornets’ lead job is still vacant.

The Lakers have now interviewed (or are expected to interview) Lee, fellow Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson (formerly the head coach of the Nets), and former head coaches Mark Jackson and Terry Stotts for their head coaching position.

Hornets To Interview Charles Lee, David Vanterpool

May 4th, 2022 at 5:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have been granted permission to interview Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee and Nets assistant David Vanterpool for their head coaching vacancy, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Lee, 37, played four seasons at Bucknell from 2002-06 prior to making international stops in Israel, Belgium and Germany. He started his NBA assistant coaching career in 2014 with Atlanta, and has spent the past eight seasons working with head coach Mike Budenholzer, winning a championship with Milwaukee last season.

Lee was reportedly a finalist for head coaching jobs in New Orleans and Washington D.C. last summer, and he has continued to receive interest this season. He recently interviewed for Sacramento’s opening, but didn’t make the final cut.

An assistant for CSKA Moscow from 2007-12 after spending time with the Russian team as a player, Vanterpool made the move to the NBA in 2012. He served as an assistant coach on Portland’s staff for seven years from 2012-19, then spent two seasons as the Timberwolves’ associate head coach, first under Ryan Saunders, then under Chris Finch.

When the Wolves replaced Saunders with Finch during the 2020/21 season, some league observers expressed surprise that the team hired an assistant from another team (Finch had been part of Nick Nurse‘s Raptors staff) in the middle of the season rather than promoting Vanterpool, who has received consideration for other head coaching openings in recent years. Instead of sticking around in Minnesota, Vanterpool decided to join Steve Nash‘s staff in Brooklyn last summer.

Lee and Vanterpool are the fifth and sixth candidates set to interview for Charlotte’s vacancy, joining Mike D’Antoni, Kenny Atkinson, Darvin Ham and Sean Sweeney. The team is also rumored to be interested in a few other possible candidates.

And-Ones: Coaching Candidates, Kirkwood, Garuba, Embiid

May 4th, 2022 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

Suns assistant Kevin Young, Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee, Celtics assistant Will Hardy, Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic, Heat assistants Chris Quinn and Malik Allen, and Warriors assistants Mike Brown and Kenny Atkinson are among the assistants around the NBA who are viewed as potential head coaching candidates by league insiders, according to ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz (Insider-only link).

A number of the names on Arnovitz’s list have been linked to one or more of the NBA’s three current head coaching openings. Ham and Brown, for instance, all believed to be under consideration by all three of the Hornets, Lakers, and Kings.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Harvard senior guard Noah Kirkwood, who declared for the 2022 NBA draft as an early entrant, has decided to remain in the draft and go pro rather than using his final year of college eligibility, according to agent Ronnie Zeidel (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports).
Rockets forward/center Usman Garuba said in an interview with Spanish outlet AS.com that he’s committed to representing Spain at this year’s EuroBasket competition, as Eurohoops relays.
In an intriguing bit of international basketball news, an RMC Sport report indicates that Sixers center Joel Embiid is exploring the possibility of obtaining French citizenship and representing France in future international events. Embiid was born in Cameroon, but has family from France and has never suited up for the Cameroonian national team.

Jackson, Brown, Clifford Are Finalists For Kings’ Coaching Job

April 30th, 2022 at 5:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:36pm: Jackson, Brown and Clifford are the three finalists for the job and will all have in-person meetings with the Kings’ front office, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320.

The other four candidates — Mike D’Antoni, Celtics assistant Will Hardy and Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee — are no longer under consideration.

4:19pm: ABC/ESPN announcer Mark Jackson is a finalist to become the next head coach of the Kings, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic, who adds that general manager Monte McNair has started notifying the candidates who will receive in-person interviews.

Warriors assistant Mike Brown and Nets consultant Steve Clifford are finalists as well, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Jackson, who is among the candidates that LeBron James reportedly wants the Lakers to consider, hasn’t coached since the 2013/14 season and is currently employed as an ABC/ESPN broadcaster. He compiled a 121-109 record in three seasons with the Warriors and reached the playoffs twice.

Brown has been an assistant on Steve Kerr‘s staff since the 2016/17 season. He has a 347-216 record as a head coach with the Cavaliers and Lakers and was named Coach of the Year in 2009.

Clifford spent three years as head coach of the Magic before he and the team decided to part ways last summer. He also served five seasons as head coach in Charlotte and has a career record of 292-345.

Kings To Interview Mike D’Antoni, Mark Jackson, Others

April 22nd, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings will interview former NBA head coaches Mike D’Antoni and Mark Jackson for their open head coaching position, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Sacramento has also received permission to interview former coaches Mike Brown and Steve Clifford, as well as Celtics assistant Will Hardy and Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Of the former head coaches, D’Antoni currently serves as an advisor to Pelicans head coach Willie Green, Jackson is an ABC/ESPN broadcaster, Brown is an assistant with the Warriors, and Clifford is a consultant for the Nets.

The Kings have done their homework on a wide range of candidates and narrowed their list down to a smaller group, according to Charania and Amick, though the above list of candidates isn’t necessarily complete, tweets Sean Cunningham of ABC10 in Sacramento.

The Kings will begin conducting virtual interviews with candidates next week, according to James Ham of ESPN 1320, who tweets that in-person meetings will take place after that first round of Zoom interviews.

Sacramento is in the market for a new head coach after firing Luke Walton near the start of the 2021/22 season and then opting not to retain his interim replacement, Alvin Gentry, last week.

When word first broke that the Kings weren’t bringing back Gentry, Wojnarowski said they would consider candidates who have previously turned lottery teams into playoff clubs. D’Antoni (Phoenix), Jackson (Golden State), Brown (Cleveland), and Clifford (Charlotte and Orlando) all technically fit that bill.

Ham, Lee, and Hardy don’t have head coaching experience, but have all interviewed for head coaching positions in recent years. Ham and Lee reportedly received consideration from multiple teams in 2021, while Hardy was in the mix for multiple jobs in 2020.

Kings Not Retaining Alvin Gentry As Head Coach

April 11th, 2022 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

1:06pm: The Kings have officially confirmed that Gentry won’t be back as the team’s head coach.

“The entire Kings organization is grateful for the leadership of Alvin Gentry, who stepped up when he got the call mid-season,” GM Monte McNair said in a statement. “We appreciate his leadership on and off the court.”

Although Gentry is out as head coach, he still may stick with the organization. Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Gentry and the Kings are discussing a possible front office position, with a resolution expected later this week.

12:37pm: The Kings have informed Alvin Gentry that he’s no longer the team’s head coach, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link), who report that Sacramento will immediately launch a “comprehensive” search for a new coach.

Gentry was named the Kings’ interim head coach just 17 games into the 2021/22 season following the ouster of Luke Walton. After starting 6-11 under Walton, the Kings were hopeful that Gentry could lead the team to at least a spot in the play-in tournament. However, Sacramento went just 24-41 the rest of the way and finished in the lottery for a 16th consecutive season.

Gentry, who has previous head coaching experience with the Heat, Pistons, Clippers, Suns, and Pelicans, previously stuck around following interim stints in Detroit and Phoenix to become those teams’ permanent head coaches, but that won’t happen in Sacramento. It appears he’ll be in the market for a new job this spring despite having spoken on Sunday about wanting to remain with the franchise.

“Obviously, I have a desire (to stay),” Gentry said, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I love it here and I think we’re on the right path. We’ve got some good pieces. We’ve got good people from our medical staff all the way up to the top. It has been done here before. It’s not something that’s impossible to do. It’s been done here before, so you just have to wait and see, but all of those things, I don’t make those decisions, so whatever happens, if it doesn’t work out, then I’ve had a great two years here. Love the people here. Love the franchise.”

The Kings, meanwhile, will conduct a wide-ranging search that includes candidates who have previously turned lottery teams into playoff clubs, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Marc Stein previously identified Terry Stotts, Mike D’Antoni, Mike Brown and Steve Clifford as names who have come up in coaching circles as possible targets for Sacramento. Wojnarowski confirms that Clifford and Brown are expected to be considered and adds Kenny Atkinson, Mark Jackson, and Bucks assistants Charles Lee and Darvin Ham to the list of potential candidates.

Rick Adelman was the last coach to take the Kings to the postseason, back in 2006. Since then, Sacramento has employed 11 different head coaches — the new hire will be the 12th.

Central Notes: Caruso, Garland, Lee, Pistons

March 12th, 2022 at 2:33pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls guard Alex Caruso is nearing his return from a wrist injury that’s sidelined him 22 games, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. Caruso fractured his wrist on Jan. 21 and participated fully in the team’s practice on Friday.

“We haven’t talked about specific target yet,” Caruso said. “I think we’re just trying to take it day-by-day to make sure it passes each test. Wake up (Saturday), hopefully no soreness that will hold me back and go from there.”

Chicago plays Cleveland on Saturday, Sacramento on Monday and Utah on Wednesday. Caruso is currently listed as questionable to play on Saturday. In 28 games this season, he has averaged 8.4 points, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals, playing 27.7 minutes per contest.

There’s more from the Central Division tonight:

As the season has progressed, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland has received more attention from opposing defenses, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Garland has become a franchise cornerstone for the Cavaliers, averaging 21.0 points and 8.3 assists per game in his first All-Star season. As Fedor notes, it’ll be important for Cleveland to counter those defenses, especially with the playoffs roughly a month away.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic hosts a Q&A with Bucks assistant Charles Lee, who remains a future NBA head coaching candidate. Lee has been with Milwaukee since 2018 after previously serving as an assistant with the Hawks for four years.
Rod Beard of The Detroit News examines what the Pistons could do with their cap space this offseason. As Beard outlines, Detroit is projected to have roughly $31.4MM to pursue free agents. The team will also have former No. 2 pick Marvin Bagley III as a restricted free agent.

Wes Unseld Jr., Darvin Ham Leading Contenders To Become Wizards Coach

July 14th, 2021 at 10:36am CST by Arthur Hill

The frontrunners in the Wizards‘ search for a new head coach are Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. and Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Bucks assistant Charles Lee is also a finalist for the job, Woj adds.

All three were reported last week as moving past the first round of interviews, along with former Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley, who was hired as head coach of the Magic over the weekend. Washington and New Orleans are the only teams currently without a head coach.

Unseld is the sentimental choice for Wizards fans because his father was a legend in the area as a five-time All-Star with the Bullets. The younger Unseld started his coaching career with the Wizards in 2005 and spent time with the Warriors and Magic before coming to Denver.

Ham has been as assistant under Budenholzer for the past eight years in Milwaukee and Atlanta. His coaching career began with the Lakers in 2011.

The Wizards have been looking for a coach since deciding not to extend Scott Brooks‘ contract in mid-June.

Wizards Notes: Nored, Coaching Search, Beal, Workouts

July 9th, 2021 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards recently conducted a second interview with Ronald Nored for their head coaching job, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

A report last week indicated that Nored was close to leaving his position as a Hornets assistant for a role on Rick Carlisle‘s staff in Indiana. Haynes’ report today suggests Nored may still be in the running for Washington’s top job — presumably, if he isn’t hired by the Wizards, the 31-year-old will pivot to finalizing a deal with the Pacers.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Besides Nored, the Wizards’ top head coaching candidates are believed to be Wes Unseld Jr., Charles Lee, Darvin Ham, and Jamahl Mosley (who may be hired by the Magic). Fred Katz of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at those four contenders for the job to assess what they could bring to the organization.
Before the Wizards finalize their head coaching hire, general manager Tommy Sheppard will meet with Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook to get their feedback on the finalists, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
Within the same NBC Sports Washington story, Beal says he appreciated the five years he spent playing for Scott Brooks. “When I first got the news (Brooks wouldn’t return), it was tough,” Beal said. “Scotty was great. This is my second coach I’ve played for and even when I talked to him afterwards, (I said) how grateful I was towards him. He helped change my game and evolved my game to what it is now.”
The Wizards are working out a pair of guards today, according to Hughes, who tweets that Arizona State’s Josh Christopher and Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu are visiting the team. Christopher and Dosunmu rank 33rd and 34th, respectively, on ESPN’s big board for the 2021 draft, so it seems like a long shot that the Wizards would select either with the No. 15 pick.

Willie Green, Charles Lee Among Top Candidates To Coach Pelicans

July 6th, 2021 at 8:06am CST by Luke Adams

Suns assistant Willie Green and Bucks assistant Charles Lee are “prominent” candidates in the Pelicans‘ head coaching search, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Earlier in the process, Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn was considered the frontrunner to replace Stan Van Gundy as New Orleans’ new head coach, but he withdrew from consideration last week for family reasons. Now, it appears the Pelicans have their eye on two other veteran assistant coaches. New Orleans’ own assistant, Fred Vinson, has also interviewed for the position, Stein notes.

A former NBA shooting guard, Green transitioned into the coaching ranks in 2016, working with the Warriors as an assistant for three seasons before making the move to Phoenix in 2019. He has been on Monty Williams‘ staff for the last two years and has generated some buzz as an up-and-coming head coaching candidate, having also talked to the Wizards and Magic about their vacancies.

Lee is also a former shooting guard, having played at Bucknell from 2002-06 and then in international leagues until 2010. After joining his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2012, he was hired as part of Mike Budenholzer‘s staff in Atlanta in 2014. Lee followed Budenholzer to Milwaukee in 2018 and – like Green – is now receiving head coaching interest from multiple teams — he’s said to be one of the Wizards’ finalists.

Green and Lee are set to face one another in the NBA Finals, beginning on Tuesday night.

While many candidates have been linked to the Wizards’ and Magic’s head coaching jobs, things have been relatively quiet on the Pelicans front. Besides the names mentioned above, Pelicans assistant Teresa Weatherspoon has been the only other contender confirmed to be in the mix, and David Griffin downplayed the chances of her being promoted. It’s possible New Orleans’ search has been fairly narrow, but it’s just as likely that a number of meetings have gone unreported.