Coming out of the entire “Jason Kidd Era” the Brooklyn Nets have upgraded the coaching position.
Brooklyn has reached an “agreement in principle” to hire Lionel Hollins as the next head coach of the Nets, the team announced.
This was was expected, the only question was years and money, and that is four years, $18 million (with the fourth year a team option), according to Marc Stein of ESPN. Hollins had interviewed recently with the Lakers (as well as for numerous coaching jobs in the past year).
The last time we say Hollins he was coaching the Grizzlies to the Western Conference Finals, after which he was unceremoniously dumped by the Memphis front office (which had its own shake up after last season). He can coach and the Grizzlies improved under him each year.
After all the change in the Nets organization and roster, Hollins brings the promise of stability. He is an old-school coach — how he gets along with the New York media should be entertaining to watch — but the players will know what they have and where they stand with him.
The question now is how this impacts Paul Pierce’s free agency decision. The Nets want him back but the Clippers (and his former Boston coach Doc Rivers) want to make a run at him, as do some other contenders, possibly including the Heat. If Pierce doesn’t return to Brooklyn Kevin Garnett is not expected to.