Nets assistant coach search doesn’t include James Borrego

With four openings on the Nets coaching staff, there’s a lot of speculation about who the Nets would hire, particularly as Jacque Vaughn’s lead assistant. One league source tells NetsDaily that the Nets are “100%” in on pursuing James Borrego, the former head coach of both the Hornets and Magic, as Vaughn’s No. 2.

The source also contended that the Nets pursued Borrego a year ago, not long after he had been fired by the Hornets in April 2022.

However, a second league source with a better read on the Nets plans tells us that Borrego rumors are not accurate.

The Nets currently have four assistant coaching jobs open following management’s decision to part ways with Igor Kokoskov, Brian Keefe and Tiago Splitter. The Nets also didn’t fill Vaughn’s spot when he was elevated to take the top job back in November.

The league source was one of several recently to suggest that Borrego might be interested in returning to coaching and that Brooklyn is interested in him. On Friday, Marc Stein reported that the 45-year-old has become a hot property ... and noted that Borrego was on Vaughn’s staff in Orlando.

Former Hornets and Magic coach James Borrego is drawing interest from several teams to return to the bench as a top assistant, league sources say. I reported Sunday about Dallas’ interest in hiring Borrego to join Jason Kidd’s staff, but sources say he was already being pursued by the New Orleans Pelicans before the Mavericks had an opening … with other teams (presumed to be Houston and Brooklyn) also said to be circling. New Rockets coach Ime Udoka and Nets coach Jacque Vaughn have both worked with Borrego previously.

Vaughn was head coach in Orlando for two plus years before he was let go in 2015. Borrego was his lead assistant and succeeded him on an interim basis. After a year as an assistant to Gregg Popovich with the Spurs in 2016-17, Borrego was named head coach of the Hornets. Borrego’s head coaching record is 148-183.

Before the Magic, Borrego won three NBA rings with the Spurs first as a video assistant, then as an assistant.

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