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The coaching shake-up continues in NetsLand as Mike Mazzeo reports that Paul Westphal, the former head coach of the Suns and Kings, has reached a "verbal agreement" to make him Lionel Hollins lead assistant. Joe Wolf, who worked with Hollins in Milwaukee and most recently has coached overseas, and Rick Carlisle assistant Tony Brown, a Nets player in the 1980's, will also head for Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Nets and Paul Westphal have verbally agreed to terms on a deal which will enable the veteran NBA coach to serve as an assistant under Lionel Hollins, a league source confirmed to ESPN NewYork.com.
The two sides have been working to complete the deal ever since Billy King hired Hollins. Westphal, 63, has been head coach with the Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings, compiling a 318-279 record.
The deal came together late Wednesday.
Nets are finalizing details to add former Suns, Sonics and Kings coach Paul Westphal to Lionel Hollins' staff, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 9, 2014
Mavs assistant Tony Brown and Ukrainian national team assistant Joe Wolf also coming aboard as assistants in Brooklyn, sources say.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 9, 2014
Meanwhile, Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim Bontemps report that Joe Prunty, who replaced Jason Kidd as a head coach while Kidd sat out a suspension, will follow Kidd to Milwaukee and become the Bucks lead assistant. John Welch, on the other hand, will stay and play a role on Lionel Hollins' staff. Hollins and Welch worked together under Mike Fratello in Vancouver.
Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd has hired Brooklyn's Joe Prunty to be his top assistant coach, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 9, 2014
One coach who will remain with the Nets next season under Lionel Hollins, according to league sources, is John Welch, who is here in Orlando
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 9, 2014
Prunty, who the Nets would liked to have kept, becomes the third coach on Kidd's staff last season to follow him to Milwaukee. Sean Sweeney and Eric Hughes had previously committed. Charles Klask, who handled in-house statistics, then advanced scouting, had previously joined Stan VanGundy in Detroit.
Still uncertain are the fates of Roy Rogers, big man coach, and Jim Sann.as well as Lawrence Frank, who Kidd had Billy King re-assign to writing reports early in the season after the two couldn't get along. Berger reports that Frank once again is linked to Doc Rivers, his old boss.
Rivers also pursuing Lawrence Frank (his former assistant in Boston) and Wizards assistant Sam Cassell, source says. Nothing final there.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 9, 2014
No word yet on the rest of Hollins staff. There were reports over the weekend that Henry Bibby and Johnny Davis would join as assistants.
- Lionel Hollins's coaching staff coming together - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
- Report: Paul Westphal to join Lionel Hollins with Nets - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
- Brooklyn Nets and Paul Westphal verbally agree to terms making him an assistant coach - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Joe Prunty leaves Brooklyn Nets for Milwaukee Bucks - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York