Brooklyn Nets basic supervisor Sean Marks mentioned on Tuesday that the workforce has not selected a brand new head coach, regardless of rumors swirling that Ime Udoka was anticipated to fill the function.
When requested at a information convention on Tuesday whether or not the workforce has decided who its subsequent head coach will likely be, Marks mentioned, “Completely not,” based on a clip of the information convention revealed by Bleacher Report.
The overall supervisor then sidestepped a query about Udoka’s standing as a possible candidate for the job.
“I actually don’t suppose it’s as much as me proper now to offer an inventory of candidates who we’re speaking to,” he mentioned, later including that he didn’t have a timeline for when the workforce’s choice could be made.
Udoka, who was suspended because the Boston Celtics head coach in September, was mentioned to be the front-runner for the pinnacle coach job with the Nets, based on a number of reports on Tuesday.
He was anticipated to achieve a proper settlement with the workforce as early as Wednesday, ESPN reported, citing unnamed sources.
The Brooklyn Nets haven’t instantly responded to a request for remark.
Information surrounding Udoka’s potential hiring emerged shortly after the Nets introduced Tuesday that they’d parted methods with their head coach, Corridor of Famer Steve Nash, who was employed in 2020.
Previous to becoming a member of the Celtics group in June 2021, Udoka had served because the assistant coach for the Nets underneath Nash for the 2020-21 season and an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs for seven seasons. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers as assistant coach in 2019 for one season.
The Celtics suspended Udoka in September after a months-long investigation by an unbiased legislation agency discovered he violated a number of workforce insurance policies. His suspension sparked a media frenzy on the time, with a number of publications, citing unnamed sources, reporting that he was dealing with self-discipline for participating in an improper relationship with a member of the group.
Udoka has been in a long-term relationship with actor Nia Lengthy, who gained broad assist from followers on-line after information of the scandal broke.
The Nets, who’ve a 2-5 document for the beginning of the season, have lately been embroiled in controversy.
Guard Kyrie Irving has confronted backlash for lately tweeting a hyperlink to a movie criticized as antisemitic.
“I’m dissatisfied that Kyrie seems to assist a movie based mostly on a ebook filled with anti-semitic disinformation,” Nets proprietor Joe Tsai tweeted on Friday. “I need to sit down and ensure he understands that is hurtful to all of us, and as a person of religion, it’s unsuitable to advertise hate based mostly on race, ethnicity or faith.”