The Nets are “prepared to hire” Jordi Fernandez, the Sacramento Kings‘ top assistant, as their next head coach, according to a report Monday evening by ESPN’s drian Wojnarowski.
Fernandez, 41, has been the Kings’ associate head coach since 2022. Before Sacramento, he spent the first assistant stint of his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets from 2016-22.
From Badalona, Spain, Fernandez’s coaching career includes a player development role with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2009-13. He was an assistant (2013-14) and subsequently the head coach (2014-16) of the Canton Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate.
Fernandez interviewed for head-coaching vacancies with the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors last cycle, according to Wojnarowski.
Brooklyn went 32-50 in 2023-24. The Nets fired Jacque Vaughn amid a 21-33 start, and Kevin Ollie went 11-17 in the interim.
“I think we do need to get back to playing hard and competing,” Nets GM Sean Marks said Feb. 20. “That’s what the borough of Brooklyn deserves and rightfully so. I think we’ve seen that in the past we have young men go out there and compete with a chip on their shoulder.”
