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Woj: Jacque Vaughn to be Kenny Atkinson's lead assistant

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Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Call it Spurs East.

The Nets once again went to the San Antonio "tree" to hire Kenny Atkinson's lead assistant. Jacque Vaughn, former Spurs assistant and Magic head coach, is joining the  Nets in the coaching staff's No. 2 job, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski. Vaughn's most recent job was as a pro personnel director for the Spurs, having been hired last September.

As always, Woj broke it via Twitter.

Vaughn, 41, was an assistant to Gregg Popovich for two years, beginning in 2010., then joined the Magic as head coach, lasting nearly three seasons before being fired.in February of 2015 with a 43-121 record.  Vaughn also played three years for the Spurs winning a championship ring in 2007.

Vaughn and Nets GM Sean Marks did not play together on the Spurs. Nor did Marks work with Vaughn on the Spurs coaching staff when Vaughn was an assistant. Both were on the Spurs payroll from September through February of this season before Marks took the Nets GM job.

Why move so fast on hiring a lead assistant? Marks has said he wants Nets new culture to be in place and evident by free agency in July.

Vaughn is now the fourth Nets hire from the "Spurs tree," following Marks; assistant GM Trajan Langdon; and coordinator of strategic planning, Andrew Baker. (As lead assistant to Mike Budenholzer, the Hawks head coach who worked under Popovich, is one branch removed.)

Vaughn is a former Net as well. He backed up Jason Kidd for two years in 2004-05 and 2005-06, playing 151 games for the Nets, mainly as a defensive presence. He averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 assists as a Net.  He is a Kansas product.

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