After Jason Kidd’s migration to the Bucks in a coaching trade Monday, the Nets met with replacement candidate Lionel Hollins yesterday for the second time, according to Yahoo Sports.
After a 44-38 debut season, Kidd sought personnel control in addition to his coaching duties. But the Nets refused the requested promotion and subsequently allowed Kidd to speak with Milwaukee, which ultimately landed him. “The franchise has to be bigger than one person,” said Nets general manager Billy King in a news conference yesterday.
King, who took a chance hiring a retired player looking to make the leap to coaching, said the organization will be searching for a coach with experience this time. Former NBA as well as college coaches are in the mix, according to the Nets GM.
Hollins could be that guy, spending parts of seven seasons with the Grizzlies and reaching the playoffs three times in that span. The defensive-minded coach had dinner with King on Monday night, met with him again the following morning and could soon move to contract negotiations with the ownership’s approval, league sources said.
