The Charlotte Hornets announced they’ve agreed on a reported four-year deal with current Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee to become the team’s new head coach.
Charles, 39, has no previous head coaching experience, but he’s been an assistant coach for the past 10 years. He was an assistant for the Atlanta Hawks (2014 – 2018) and the Milwaukee Bucks (2018 to 2023) before spending this past season with Boston.
“The opportunity to be the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets is a dream come true,” said Lee in a statement. “The Hornets have a young talented core of players and I’m excited about our future and what we can build here.”
Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson praised Lee’s knowledge and experience.
“Charles possesses a championship pedigree with a wide range of basketball knowledge and NBA experience, has a tremendous work ethic and is a great communicator. He shares our vision for this organization, and I look forward to partnering with him in building something special here in Carolinas.”
The Hornets have been seeking a new coach since April when the current coach Steve Clifford announced this season would be his last. He leaves as the winningest coach in franchise history. In his seven seasons with the team, he has a record of 244-330.
He still plans to remain with the organization as an adviser.
Charlotte has not finished above a .500 record since the 2015-16 season, which was also their last playoff appearance. This year they finished 21-61.
It’s important to note that their star guard Lamelo Ball missed most of the season, only playing in 22 games due to a serious ankle injury. More alarming is that Ball has only played 58 games in the last two seasons with the Hornets.
If Ball can stay healthy and Lee can pair him with their other top 2 pick, Brandon Miller, center Mark Williams and guard Cody Martin, the latter two who both missed notable time, the Hornets could have a bright future.
Lee might also have some additional help this June as the Hornets have a 13.3% chance of winning the number one overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
With former owner Michael Jordan selling his majority stake in the team, the Hornets are looking for a fresh start, so all eyes will be on Charles Lee to see if he can be the guy to spark a change for the organization.
