Mike Budenholzer among candidates for vacant Nets role

Mike Budenholzer. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Former championship-winning coach among candidates for vacant Nets role

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 2/20/24

The Brooklyn Nets released head coach Jacque Vaughn on Monday. Assistant Kevin Ollie was quickly instilled as the interim head coach for the franchise. However, Sean Marks will now be scouring the world for his fifth coaching hire, hoping to finally get his decision right.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports , former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer could be near the top of Marks' shortlist. He led the Bucks to a championship in 2021.

"Brooklyn will need someone who boasts the postseason experience necessary to guide these Nets much closer in that exact direction," Fischer wrote. "Mike Budenholzer currently bills as the most decorated coach on the market and shares obvious Spurs roots with Marks."

The Nets likely want to quickly retool their roster. Building around the impressive Mikal Bridges makes sense. He's thrived in a bigger role since being traded to Brooklyn as part of the Kevin Durant deal at the 2023 trade deadline.

Budenholzer would undoubtedly bring some fresh ideas to the Nets. He's a proven commodity within the NBA and has tasted success with both the Atlanta Hawks and, to a greater extent, the Bucks. He boasts 484 wins in 801 regular-season games, giving him a win percentage of 60.4%. In the postseason, he's 56-48. There's no doubt he could make an impact on Brooklyn's current plight.

Nevertheless, Budenholzer isn't the sort of coach that you bring in to help develop talent. Brooklyn would need to improve its roster if it wants to put him in a position to succeed. That likely means moving on from Ben Simmons' expiring contract next season. It also means parting with some of their draft assets. Bridges will need an elite running mate if the Nets are going to become a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.

Vaughn's release is still fresh. Other coaching candidates will undoubtedly enter the discussion. With Ollie in place, the Nets are in no rush to make a decision. Marks needs to be 100% sure who he selects is the right person for the job. There's a lot of change happening in Brooklyn. Whether that change is for the better will continue to be a major talking point.

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