Just hours after dismissing head coach Steve Nash, the Brooklyn Nets are already working to close the deal for his replacement.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski this week, the Nets and former Celtics coach Ime Udoka are nearing an agreement and could finalize a deal as early as tomorrow.
“They think Udoka as a leader and his presence, especially on the defensive end, they need to tighten up there and try to get this organization, this team, back on track. But, the expectation is that [Brooklyn] will have a deal with Ime Udoka. Unlikely today, but perhaps now as soon as Thursday.”
"The expectation is that [Brooklyn] will have a deal with Ime Udoka. Unlikely today, but perhaps now as soon as Thursday."
— @wojespn https://t.co/Q1TaqpdQYh
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 2, 2022
Ime Udoka Is Still Facing Questions After The Exposure Of His Affair With A Celtics Staffer
Udoka most recently coached in Boston, where he led the Celtics to a surprising Finals run before being eliminated by Stephen Curry the Golden State Warriors. He was considered one of the top coaches in the league before a sexual scandal rocked the organization this summer.
Shams Charania has recently revealed the action that Ime Udoka took to warrant this punishment. It seems as though Ime Udoka had an “intimate and consensual relationship” with a female member of the Boston Celtics staff, which was deemed in violation of the team’s code of conduct.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka had an improper intimate and consensual relationship with a female member of the team staff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. It’s been deemed a violation of franchise’s code of conduct.
After receiving a one-year suspension from the Celtics, Udoka’s coaching future was cast in much doubt, and many believed he would never coach an NBA game again.
Of course, the state of Brooklyn’s separation has led them to Udoka, who has an opportunity to coach the uber-talented Brooklyn Nets just weeks after being considered unhireable.
Naturally, the Nets have received some flack for hiring a coach with so much baggage.
“A team, whose coach LED THEM TO THE NBA FINALS, dubbed the coach’s actions so egregious that he was suspended for a year days before the season, then allowed to go to a division rival with no compensation in return. None of that was a red flag for the Nets,” said NBA analyst Jon Krawczynski.
While Celtics players still seem very high on him, there are certainly some alarm bells to be raised when it comes to Udoka and the Nets. Still, both parties are in desperate need of a comeback story, and there’s really nowhere else to turn.
Hopefully, the team will get this deal done soon so that Ime can start implementing his system right away.
