Boston Celtics: Ranking Cs among head coaching openings
After the Boston Celtics shockingly moved Brad Stevens into a front-office position, they are now on the head coach hunt. Two more teams entered the frenzy Wednesday morning, with New Orleans and Washington moving on from Stan Van Gundy and Scott Brooks, respectively.
Top head-coaching candidates such as Chauncey Billups and Sam Cassell may have their pick of the litter, while others are vying for rebuilding teams, hoping to make a name for themselves in the league. So far there are six openings in total, with Mike Budenholzer’s job in Milwaukee in jeopardy if he fails to make it out of the second round.
As for the Boston Celtics, their head coaching search has not narrowed one bit. Adrian Wojnarowski reported just under a week ago that Stevens got permission to interview a variety of candidates, including Billups, Ime Udoka, Jamahl Mosley, Darvin Ham, and Charles Lee. Additionally, in-house coaches are in the mix, including Jay Larranaga and Jerome Allen. Fans are still pushing for Becky Hammon or Kara Lawson, but no reporting has connected them to the Celtics job just yet.
Where do the Boston Celtics rank among open positions?
Each job has something different going for them. While some are positioned to compete right away with their currently constructed rosters, others will be more focused on the draft process, developing young talent to compete down the line.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the least appealing job on the 2021 head coaching market.
Head Coach Opening #6: Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic finally decided to hit the rebuild button after half a decade of mediocrity, trading away franchise mainstays Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and Aaron Gordon. In return, they got decent draft capital, but those selections are not likely to be in the top ten or five picks. However, in this draft they hold the third overall pick, destined to pick a promising young player in the loaded draft class.
To go with that third overall pick, the Magic have productive players such as Cole Anthony, R.J. Hampton, Markelle Fultz, and Johnathan Isaac. The latter two are more proven but are coming off of major injuries, making them question marks going into next season. Both Isaac and Fultz are signed long-term and will be the building blocks for this franchise for years to come.
They also have veterans such as Gary Harris and Terrence Ross that may be moved next year. Harris is a buyout candidate, making over $20 million in the final year of his deal next season, while Ross is under contract for $24 million over two years.
The Magic requested to interview Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd for this position, as he looks to re-write his reputation as a head coach in a rebuilding situation.
Ultimately, Orlando finds themselves at the bottom of this list, as they are nowhere close to competing in the playoffs compared to the rest of these situations.