Next Celtics Coach? Kendrick Perkins Believes There’s ‘Clear-Cut Favorite’

Kendrick Perkins believes there’s an obvious answer to a question currently facing the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics are on the hunt for a new head coach after the role was vacated by Brad Stevens, who has replaced Danny Ainge as the franchise’s president of basketball operations. Perkins, who played seven-plus seasons in Boston, took to Twitter to make a case for who he believes should be Stevens’ backfill.

“…Brad Stevens, if you want to make your next move your best move, you need to go hire Sam Cassell,” Perkins said. “He won a championship in Boston as a player. He’s a two-time champion as a Rocket. He’s a long-time assistant. He’s coached superstars, he’s played with superstars. You have two young superstars over there in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, all right? Egos are going to start getting in the way. You need someone in that locker room that these players are going to respect, that they’re going to look up to, that they’re going to soak in knowledge and a guy that will hold them accountable. To me, it’s a clear-cut favorite that Sam Cassell should be the coach, all right? That’s just my humble opinion.”

Cassell quickly pivoted to coaching after wrapping up his playing career in 2008 with a championship in Boston. The 51-year-old since 2009 has served as a coaching assistant for the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, who he joined prior to the start of the 2020-21 season.

The latest rumors suggest the Celtics are interested in candidates of the player-turned-coach mold. Boston reportedly will consider Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups, among others, for the open position.