Mike Budenholzer, James Borrego Candidates For Nets’ Coaching Job?

The Nets fired former coach Jacque Vaughn on Monday, a little more than a year into his second tenure with the team. He will be replaced by interim man Kevin Ollie, as we relayed here. Ollie will certainly have a chance to keep the job on a full-time basis.

If he fails, others could then come into play.

“Mike Budenholzer currently bills as the most decorated coach on the market and shares obvious Spurs roots with (GM Sean Marks),” Fischer wrote. “There will be other names to emerge after this postseason shakes out, like Budenholzer before, and Pelicans assistant James Borrego, who has past experience leading Charlotte, was a candidate to join Vaughn’s bench this past summer, sources said.”

Budenholzer, 54, was fired by the Bucks last season after compiling a 58-24 record. However, Milwaukee lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual-Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat.

He went 271-120 in five seasons overall with the Bucks, guiding them to the NBA championship in 2021.

Before that, he coached the Atlanta Hawks for five seasons, compiling a 213-197 record. That included a 60-22 mark in 2018-19. Budenholzer spent 17 seasons as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs prior to taking the job with the Hawks.

Borrego, 46, coached the Hornets from 2018-22, compiling a 138-163 record. Charlotte improved by 10 wins in each of his three final seasons.

The Nets (21-33) currently sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and are fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament. Ollie will be the fourth coach in Marks’ eight seasons as GM.

“Even still, there would seem all the importance for Marks’ group to ultimately fill their coaching position with the biggest fish available, not a first-time play-caller, and not make this staffing choice its last,” Fischer wrote. “In that vein, Brooklyn will need someone who boasts the postseason experience necessary to guide these Nets much closer in that exact direction.”