Nets reportedly plan to hire Ime Udoka as team's next head coach
BOSTON -- The Brooklyn Nets fired Steve Nash on Tuesday, and have their sights set on suspended Celtics head coach Ime Udoka as his successor.
The Nets plan to hire Udoka, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The hiring could be announced within the next 24-48 hours, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Udoka was suspended by the Celtics for the entire 2022-23 season for "violations of team policies," but Boston "granted the Nets permission to speak to Udoka and will allow him to leave freely," according to Charnia.
The Nets moved on from Nash after a 2-5 start to the season, Nash's third as the team's head coach. After going 48-21 under Nash in 2021-22, Brooklyn was just 44-38 in his second season on the bench. They were swept by Udoka and the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs after securing the 7-seed in the play-in tournament.
Those were disappointing results with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the roster, even though Irving had to sit out Brooklyn's home games. With Irving under fire for his off-court activities and the Nets struggling to a 2-5 start, Brooklyn decided it was time to end the Nash experiment just seven games into the new season.
Udoka was an assistant in Brooklyn the year before he got the Celtics job, and interviewed for the head coaching position that ultimately went to Nash.
Jacque Vaughn will act as Brooklyn's interim head coach for Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls.