On Sunday, the Brooklyn Nets parted ways with head coach Lionel Hollins and reassigned general manager Billy King in the midst of the team's worst season since moving from New Jersey.
After making the playoffs last season, Brooklyn now has a 10-27 record that ranks second-worst in the Eastern Conference. Assistant Tony Brown will take over Hollins' vacated position for the rest of the season. The GM position will remain open until a replacement is named. It remains unclear who will take over King's job in the interim.
The Nets have lost four consecutive games and nine straight at home, where attendance has reportedly shrunk at the $1 billion Barclays Center. They had made the playoffs every season since relocating in 2012, but they are 10-27 as mentioned, only better than the league-worst Philadelphia 76ers, according to Fox Sports.
Hollins was hired by King before the 2014-15 season as Jason Kidd's replacement after the latter moved to Milwaukee. The 62-year-old coach had a 48-71 record during his stint with the Nets. The coaching veteran helped buoy the Nets to a playoff berth last season, but that moderate success, combined with a disappointing 2015-16 start, was apparently not enough to inspire from Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov in his ability to lead the team.
Meanwhile, King was named as Brooklyn' general manager five years ago and was in his sixth season in that role. He made significant trades that brought in notable players such as Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams and Joe Johns. However, those deals supposedly did not live up to their billing.
"After careful consideration, I've concluded that it's time for a fresh start and a new vision for the direction of the team," Prokhorov said in an official statement. "By making this decision now, it enables our organization to use the rest of the season to diligently evaluate candidates with proven track records. It's clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership."
Prior to GM King's reassignment, it has now surfaced that the Charlotte Hornets called the Nets to express interest in acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic, Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News reports.
"GM Billy King is conceding privately what we all know: The Nets aren't making the playoffs. So it's time to start breaking up the team. So far, Charlotte has called to try to deal for Bojan Bogdanovic, the team's top 3-point marksman, Sporting News has learned," Lawrence wrote.
The Nets small forward is a solid-scoring player, averaging 10 points per game and 33.6 percent three-point shooting. It seems that his shooting is the key to Charlotte's interest in him. While the Hornets are fourth in the league in three-pointers taken, it is worth pointing out that they are 17th in 3-point percentage.
