According to both Howard Beck and the ESPN duo of Mike Mazzeo and Marc Stein, the Nets have "strong interest" in Tom Thibodeau as a replacement for Lionel Hollins. This comes days after Mitch Lawrence reported that the Nets had "reached out" to the former Bulls coach.
Both Beck in a tweet and Mazzeo and Stein in an article used the same words to describe Nets interest.
Nets have strong interest in Thibodeau, though he'll surely have more attractive options. And they want to hire a GM first.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) January 15, 2016
Mazzeo and Stein report...
The Brooklyn Nets have strong interest in former Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau in their search for a new coach, according to league sources. Sources told ESPN.com that the Nets, while in the early stages of a search for both a new lead executive and a new coach in the wake of ousting both general manager Billy King and Lionel Hollins, are likely to pursue Thibodeau once they can secure a successor to King.
The two were united as well on the Nets diminishing interest in John Calipari who has said he remains happy at the University of Kentucky. Tweeted Beck...
Related: From what I'm hearing, Calipari is not under serious consideration by Nets ownership.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) January 15, 2016
Mazzeo and Stein note...
The Nets also have been linked strongly to Kentucky coach John Calipari -- largely due to Calipari's strong ties to Brooklyn CEO Brett Yormark -- but there is a growing sense in league circles that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov wants to hire established NBA names with considerable experience in the league.
Whoever gets the GM job will, of course, have a big say in the choice of a coach. Also, K.C. Johnson, who covers the Bulls for the Chicago Tribune, thinks Thibodeau will have other options and notes --accurately-- that Thibodeau has been approached before by the Nets and declined their offer.
Turned them down once. Can see it happening again. https://t.co/dCg5YPKhAn
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 15, 2016
Nothing, obviously, is imminent.