In the wake of Jacque Vaughn's recent coaching dismissal, a former and beloved mentor of the Milwaukee Bucks, who led the franchise in the last five seasons, including a 2021 NBA championship, is reportedly being noted as the most prominent figure to take over for the Brooklyn Nets.
Upon Michael Scotto of HoopsHype's conversations with several league executives, Mike Budenholzer has been frequently mentioned as the most logical choice for the Nets to fill their head coaching post.
"In talking with many rival executives around the league and other sources, there's a belief that a former head coach would most likely make sense if you're trying to retool instead of rebuild. Mike Budenholzer is the name at the tip of everyone's tongue when discussing potential Nets coaching candidates due to his Spurs tree connection, winning a championship, and he's arguably the most notable name on the market," Scotto reported.
Noting Brooklyn's current season dilemma
The Nets are currently in a problematic spot. Despite bursting for a hot start this season, they have lost 19 of their last 25 games with a 21-34 record that places them in the 11th spot of the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn promoted Kevin Ollie to call the shots on an interim basis temporarily. But while he is a promising candidate to consider for the head coaching spot, the team will still continue to assess his performance in the remaining 27 games if he is the best man for the job.
Bud is undoubtedly the best candidate to consider in the Nets' HC search
Amid ongoing struggles, the Nets are highly confident of their chances to contend and aren't entertaining any ideas of rebuilding. They have complementary pieces led by Mikal Bridges and can actually land a bona fide star with plenty of coveted trade assets on their shelf.
From this, Bud fits the bill in their intent and motives to improve and compete. While his past run with Milwaukee has been filled with zigzags and polarizing leadership, this doesn't take away the fact that he is the best coach available in the market who can capably help Brooklyn with his seasoned experience and play-calling.
What would be next in the Nets' open head coaching spot is yet to be seen. But regardless of what would unfold for the rest of their season, it should be a must for them to continue monitoring Bud's coaching availability.
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