The Boston Celtics made their first move in bolstering Joe Mazzulla’s coaching staff by reportedly agreeing to a deal with assistant Sam Cassell on Sunday night.
But it appears that’s not the only move the Celtics have planned in their effort to fulfill one of their key objectives this offseason by giving more support to Mazzulla.
The Celtics reportedly are also targeting former Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, Lee is on the “radar” of the Celtics but the 38-year-old also is “involved in several situations.”
It’s not hard to figure out why Lee, who saw his departure from Milwaukee come in the offseason when head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired following a first-round exit to the Miami Heat, is a sought-after assistant coach. Lee has plenty of coaching experience, having spent four seasons on the staff of the Atlanta Hawks before helping coach the Bucks the last five seasons, including earning the role of associate head coach for this past campaign.
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Teams around the league are starting to look at Lee as a potential head coach, too. Lee was a candidate for several open head coaching positions in the offseason, including with the Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns. Lee was a finalist for the job with the Pistons before they landed Monty Williams with a massive offer.
Catching on with an NBA title contender like the Celtics could be an intriguing option for Lee, especially as he looks to continue to strengthen his coaching résumé. But with several other teams eyeing Lee, it seems like he’ll have his pick of his final destination.
It wouldn’t come as a surprise if the Celtics offer a strong pursuit of Lee as they look to fill spots on their staff with several assistants expected to join Ime Udoka and the Houston Rockets. The Celtics lost out on another potential assistant with Stephen Silas, who was around the team during the first round of the playoffs, agreeing to a deal to join Williams in Detroit. And that move could increase the Celtics’ urgency to secure another top assistant like Lee.
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Featured image via Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports Images
