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Jacque Vaughn joins University of Kansas as assistant coach
Michael Scotto: JUST IN: Former 12-year NBA player, champion, and two-time head coach Jacque Vaughn will forgo current NBA opportunities to return to his alma mater, the University of Kansas, as an assistant coach, he tells @hoopshype.
The Lakers are still searching for former head coaches to join JJ Redick’s coaching staff. Among the names they are said to have pursued: Dwane Casey (who moved into a front office role in Detroit after coaching the Pistons for five seasons through 2022-23) and Jacque Vaughn (who was fired by the Nets after just a year-plus in charge in February).
Brian Lewis: Cam Thomas: “It’s tough not seeing (Vaughn) around. But at the end of the day, you gotta get wins, you gotta make the playoffs, so the front office made the decision they felt was best for the team, as an organization. We just gotta move forward & try to stack wins up.” #nets
Erik Slater: Cam Thomas on finding out about Jacque Vaughn being fired: "I thought it was like a prank or something, then Sean [Marks] called and informed me. It's unfortunate... You don't wanna see nobody lose their job at the end of the day. It's tough." pic.twitter.com/lJVZUEDSUZ
Michael Scotto: I thought it was hilarious when I asked Kevin Ollie specifically about Cam Thomas and his future that he said Thomas gave him a hug after Nets practice today. Thomas has had a fluctuating role under Jacque Vaughn. In the summer, he’ll be eligible for a contract extension. I don’t think it’s going to get done. I think Thomas is a guy the Nets could potentially include in a trade if it’s worthwhile for them. I don’t know if they’re going to make an aggressive push to get a contract extension done. I’m sure there will be talks, and I’ll circle back on this months from now when it’s eligible, but my gut tells me this won’t get done.
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Lucas Kaplan: Whew, from Kevin Ollie himself: "It's not all on JV. We all have a part in this. And I know he took a lot of bullets up here for a lot of people, and the respect I have for him is always overflowing, but it definitely has an effect with the players. At the end of the day, life's gonna throw some punches. If you really want this thing, and you want to get contracts, and you want to play in this league, life is gonna hit you, and it's like, 'what am I gonna hit back? What's the grit I'm gonna have when I turn the page?' This is the life that we chose. I played 13 years for 12 different teams. So I'm experienced in all this: coaching changes, being traded, 10-day contracts, being an assistant coach at UConn and becoming a head coach and understanding how you can make a change and how you can make a commitment in chaos. I'm used to this. I'm built for this."
Mike Budenholzer's name immediately circulated as a potential Nets candidate in the wake of Vaughn's dismissal, which was no surprise given Marks' and Budenholzer's shared ties to San Antonio. But Bud figures to be a top contender for multiple offseason job openings and surely has incentive to see how the coaching market develops.
Nets players grew frustrated at team's unstructured offense
Ben Simmons advertised as a central hub of the Nets’ offense otherwise devoid of true table-setters, and he has been available for all of 12 games this season. Yet Nets players had grown quite frustrated at Brooklyn’s unstructured offense, sources said, without Simmons present to lead runaway opportunities in transition. As Brooklyn’s losses piled, the team's stagnation in the half-court became quite apparent.
There was little pop to the Nets taking turns trying to attack off the dribble. Rival pro personnel scouts remarked they saw several players side-eying Vaughn as they made their way back to Brooklyn huddles, sources said. A smiley, up-beat approach can wear thin throughout a roster when it’s not producing results.
Nets promote Kevin Ollie to interim head coach, replacing Jacque Vaughn
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: The Brooklyn Nets are promoting assistant Kevin Ollie to interim head coach. He’ll run practice on Tuesday and start coaching on Thursday vs. the Toronto Raptors.
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Michael Scotto: The Brooklyn Nets are naming Kevin Ollie interim head coach, league sources told @hoopshype.
Nets Daily: As we noted over weekend, NBA frowns upon teams breaking big news during All Star Break and the Finals. The Nets wasted no time in pushing out Vaughn news today tweeting out before 9 am. ET. That might suggest decision was made earlier. Nets lost by 50 five days ago.
Evan Sidery: Mikal Bridges was “pretty vocal behind the scenes” about Jacque Vaughn’s offensive scheme, per @ShamsCharania on @RunItBackFDTV. Vaughn’s offense heading into the season was planned to be primarily built around Ben Simmons, who has only played in 12 games this season. pic.twitter.com/PgDi36dV7Y
Erik Slater: As a young reporter, Jacque Vaughn always made me feel welcomed and was a pleasure to interact with on a day-to-day basis. A class act who will surely catch on somewhere else. Wishing him the best.
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