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Brooklyn Nets Rumors: Coaching Search Update

By Kenneth Teape

Jan 23, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. The Bulls defeated the Mavericks 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. The Bulls defeated the Mavericks 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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In recent Brooklyn Nets rumors, some names have popped up as potential candidates to fill their head coaching void.

Brooklyn Nets rumors are bound to heat up soon, as their offseason is quickly approaching. With their final game of the season taking last place night against the Toronto Raptors, the Nets search for a new head coach is officially underway. Who are some names to keep an eye on? There are three in particular that the Nets seem interested in targeting right now.

The first two names come from a good place to start looking for a head coach in the San Antonio Spurs. According to ESPN New York’s Mike Mazzeo, via Marc Stein, the Nets will have interest in their assistant coaches Ettore Messina and Ime Udoka. It should be no surprise that the Nets will look to the Spurs, as they have a strong track record of producing solid coaching candidates, and they also have ties to the organization.

New general manager Sean Marks has spent multiple seasons within the Spurs organization, so it makes sense he would interview people that he is familiar working with for the head coaching job. Both players have ties to Marks from his time with the organization, and make sense as candidates.

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In addition to that, Messina is someone Mikhail Prokhorov has ties to as well. Messina was the head coach for CSKA Moscow when Prokhorov owned the team. It always helps to know people in high places, and within the Nets organizzation Messina knows two of the most powerful ones in the owner and general manager.

The third person to keep an eye on according to Mazzeo is former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets head coach, Jeff Van Gundy. While Van Gundy doesn’t have the ties to the Nets as the two Spurs assistants, he would bring a proven track record and the experience of coaching in a place as though as New York. The Nets are looking for a spark and some stability for the team, and hiring a veteran such as Van Gundy could provide that for them.

It may be difficult to sway someone such as Van Gundy to leave a cozy analyst job with ESPN to take over the sidelines for the Nets. The Nets haven’t had a coach last two seasons yet since they moved to Brooklyn, and have very little in the way of resources to add young talent as they do not own their own first round draft pick until 2019.

Related Story: 4 Potential Coaching Candidates For The Brooklyn Nets

The one thing Brooklyn does have going for it though is that they are set to have about $40 million in cap space this upcoming summer. While it may be difficult to lure a superstar to play in Barclays Center currently, this summer could be useful in building a foundation for the franchise for years to come. Landing the right head coach would a step in the right direction.

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