The Boston Celtics reportedly will allow suspended head coach Ime Udoka to leave freely should the Brooklyn Nets want to hire him, and doing so would indicate the organization is focused on interim coach Joe Mazzulla.
Mazzulla, who has helped the Celtics to a 4-2 start six games into the season, was named interim head coach after Boston suspendered Udoka for the 2022-23 season. The suspension officially went into effect Sept. 22 as Udoka’s multiple violations of team policy reportedly stemmed from an improper relationship in which the 45-year-old made “unwanted comments” and used “crude language” toward a Celtics female staffer.
Less than six weeks later, the Nets reportedly are interested in Udoka after “mutually” parting ways with Steve Nash. The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn followed up by sharing how, if the Nets are to move forward as expected, the Celtics then would consider doing the same with Mazzulla on a more long-term basis, taking away the “interim” title.
“The Celtics, according to an NBA source, are willing to allow Udoka to coach for another team without compensation. That’s how much they’re ready to move on from this situation,” Washburn wrote in a story published Tuesday night. “Privately, they have been pleased with the progress of the franchise and the team under Joe Mazzulla’s leadership and are hoping to strip the interim tag in the coming months.”
Washburn added: “They (Celtics) could have demanded draft picks or even financial compensation, but Udoka’s salary will be off their books and the franchise can likely reward Mazzulla with a contract if the season continues to ascend.”
It probably shouldn’t come as a total surprise that Udoka’s tenure with the Celtics is just about over. It felt like the team’s initial suspension might translate into him not returning. Celtics players like Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, though, continue to question why Udoka is not allowed to coach in Boston, but can coach one of the Celtics’ biggest rivals.
