After firing James Borrego earlier this year, the Charlotte Hornets are one of the multiple teams on the hunt for a new coach. According to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, they may have already found their guy: former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni. Here’s the latest update:
According to three league sources, the leader for the Hornets’ coaching job is Mike D’Antoni.
“I don’t think it’s a done deal or anything, but I know they like the idea of what he can do with LaMelo (Ball) and their running game,” said a source close to the matter. “If D’Antoni can get those guys on his wavelength, that’s going to be an even more fun team to watch.”
Years of losing have made the Hornets one of the least desirable destinations in basketball. Over the years, they’ve had trouble attracting free agents and frequently overpay to bring in top-tier talent.
With LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, they have a solid core to build around — but much work lies ahead if they want to take another step up in the East:
But there remain some roster issues, primarily a lack of high-quality size. And word from around the league is that the Hornets would like to get away from the oft-injured Gordon Hayward’s contract, which has two years at $30 million and $31.5 million remaining.
“I know Gordon’s situation has been super frustrating,” said one exec. “He’s such an important player when he’s healthy. He’s talented and he plays the right way. But him staying healthy is a big if.”
Report: Mike D’Antoni is the ‘leader’ for the Hornets job https://t.co/6f5QuMcaAR
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 13, 2022
The Hornets are expected to be a fringe playoff team next year, but could they become something more? With a few roster tweaks, and Mike D’Antoni leading the way, Charlotte could be the site of a dynamic offense.
Either way, there are reasons to be optimistic if you’re a fan. For the first time in years, the team appears headed in the right direction.
