The Nets are finalizing an agreement with Ime Udoka to make him their next head coach, sources told Sports Illustrated.
The Nets parted ways with head coach Steve Nash on Tuesday. Udoka, officially still under contract with the Celtics, has been under a season-long suspension with Boston for an unspecified team violation.
The Celtics will not seek compensation, a source told SI.
The Nets have been in contact with Udoka’s representatives for several days, per sources. Brooklyn has struggled to start the season, falling to 1–5 after a lackluster home loss to Indiana on Saturday. The Nets rebounded to beat the Pacers on Monday in a game where Indiana rallied from a 24-point deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
Brooklyn has intensified its vetting of the circumstances surrounding Udoka’s suspension, which sources say is connected to an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer. ESPN has reported that an independent law firm found Udoka used crude language with a female subordinate before the start of an inappropriate workplace relationship. Joe Mazzulla, a Udoka assistant, was named interim coach before the start of the season.
The Nets hope Udoka can revive a team that has stumbled badly in the opening weeks. Udoka, the architect of Boston’s top-rated defense last season, takes over a team that ranks near the bottom of the NBA in defensive efficiency. Udoka has a history with the Nets, having served on Nash’s staff during the 2020–21 season. As an assistant with Philadelphia, Udoka coached Ben Simmons during the ’19–20 season.
Udoka led the Celtics to the Finals last season, his first in Boston.
The Athletic first reported the Nets intended to hire Udoka as head coach.
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