That didn't take long. Shortly after news broke that the Nets and head coach Steve Nash were parting ways, The Athletic's Shams Charania is now reporting that the Nets are planning to hire suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka to be their next head coach.
Charania adds that the Celtics granted the Nets permission to talk to Udoka and will allow Udoka to leave freely, which seemingly suggests that they will not seek draft pick compensation.
The Celtics suspended Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season in September for "violations of team policies." Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reports that the Nets have been "vetting" Udoka for the last few days.
Udoka previously served as an assistant coach in Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season. He will be united with stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and tasked with turning around a dysfunctional team that is off to a 2-5 start.
Udoka's Celtics swept the Nets in the first round of the playoffs last season.