Celtics assistant Charles Lee reportedly set to become head coach of Hornets

BOSTON -- One of Joe Mazzulla's top assistants has already been poached from his Celtics coaching staff. Lead assistant Charles Lee is reportedly set to leave Boston to become the new head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Lee agreed to a four-year contract with the Hornets on Thursday, according to ESPN. He'll replace Steve Clifford, who moved to the front office after the 2023 season following a two-year stint (his second in Charlotte) on the Hornets bench.

The 39-year-old Lee has been viewed as one of the NBA's top assistants for a while now, spending much of his coaching career under two-time Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer. He got his first NBA gig in 2014 under Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks, following two years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Bucknell. Lee followed Budenholzer to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018, and was on the bench when the team won an NBA championship in 2021.

Lee, 39, joined Mazzulla' staff in Boston last summer, and helped guide the team to a 64-18 record and an 11.6 net rating -- the fourth-best in NBA history. He will remain on the Celtics bench throughout Boston's postseason run before taking over the Hornets. 

In Charlotte, Lee will look to turn around a young and promising Hornets team that went just 21-61 last season, as star guard LaMelo Ball was limited to just 22 games due to injuries.