Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King wasn’t expecting head coach Jason Kidd to leave town for the Milwaukee Bucks, but he hasn’t wasted any time looking for a replacement.
ESPN’s Mike Mazzeo reported Tuesday that the Nets are “already deep into their search” for a new head coach and that several front-runners have emerged, one being former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins.
“(Hollins and I) met again today, and the meetings went well,” King said. “So now, after I finish (this interview), I’ll meet with the staff, talk to ownership and then look at our list and see if we have to go further because we’ve got a list that we’d like to go through if we need to.”
Hollins was the head coach of the Grizzlies from 2009-13 and led them to three consecutive playoff appearances in his last three seasons. Hollins departure from the Grizzlies was a mutual agreement between him and the ownership, as they apparently had “philosophical differences.”
With his track record of success, Hollins would likely be a good choice for the vacant Nets position. Either way, however, King did not seem very worried about Kidd’s departure or about finding a new coach.
“The franchise is bigger than one person,” King said. “If you sit here and say one person leaves and everything comes falling down, then you don’t have an organization. So we’re not where we were like a week ago, but I think we can get back there quickly.”
Photo via Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
