Celtics assistant Charles Lee named new Charlotte Hornets head coach

Longtime NBA assistant coach Charles Lee is finally getting his shot to sit in the big seat after being named the new Charlotte Hornets head coach, per reports.

Lee is in his first year as the top assistant under Joe Mazzula with the Boston Celtics. He spent five years under Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee and was a key member of the staff that won the 2021 NBA Championship.

The 39-year-old has been viewed as one of the brightest assistants in the league and was one of the finalists for the Washington Wizards head coaching job in 2021.

Charles Lee walks into an interesting situation as Charlotte Hornets head coach

Lee takes over for Steve Clifford, who moved from the bench into a front-office role. But the Budenholzer disciple is familiar with the new regime in Charlotte, which should make for a smooth transition, something certainly needed in the Hornets organization.

Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin recently purchased the team from Michael Jordan and hired Jeff Peterson as head of basketball operations. Peterson and Lee worked together in Atlanta where Lee was an assistant under Budenholzer, Peterson was a member of the front office and Schnall was a minority owner, according to The Athletic.

Lee inherits an interesting roster in Charlotte. Brandon Miller, the second pick in last year’s draft, had an impressive rookie season. LaMelo Ball was the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year and made the All-Star team in his second season, but he’s only played 58 games in the last two years.

The Hornets have the third-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft and a young center rotation with Mark Williams and Nick Richards. Charlotte will have to make a decision on unrestricted free agent Miles Bridges, but if he’s re-signed, Lee will have a talented young roster to mold.

Thank you for reading The Dunk Central. Please follow us on Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite teams and players. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing NBA outlets!