As the Celtics set out on their search to bolster Joe Mazzulla's coaching staff, their president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, told Inside The Celtics, "We're gonna look for, with at least one addition to the bench, and he'll (Mazzulla) lead this charge, we'll look for somebody that's got a lot of NBA experience for sure."
Since then, Boston hit back-to-back home runs, hiring Charles Lee as the lead assistant to its second-year bench boss and adding Sam Cassell. While neither one's been an NBA head coach yet, both are long-deserving of the opportunity, the former nearly got the Pistons' job before they made a final, successful push for Monty Williams, and the two check every other box.
The Celtics also brought in Phil Pressey, a former point guard of theirs who spent time around the team during the playoffs, and Amile Jefferson, a former collegiate teammate of Jayson Tatum's at Duke.
According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the franchise "discussed roles" with Jeff Van Gundy. The former Knicks and Rockets' head coach has a career record of 430-318 and was at the helm when New York made its last Finals appearance in 1999.
Van Gundy hasn't coached since 2006-07 when he was with Houston, who went 52-30. But after working as a color commentator for over a decade, he was, unfortunately, one of the casualties of ESPN's recent layoffs, which could lead him back to an NBA sideline.
Mannix reports there's mutual interest between Van Gundy and the Wizards, who could bring him aboard Wes Unseld Jr.'s staff. And if that doesn't materialize, perhaps he'll join his brother Stan Van Gundy on Turner's NBA broadcasts.
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