HORNETS HIRE CELTICS ASSISTANT CHARLES LEE

The Charlotte Hornets named Charles Lee as their head coach on Thursday, hoping he'll turn around the long-struggling NBA franchise.

The 39-year-old Lee joins the Hornets after serving as the Boston Celtics top assistant coach. Lee will complete the Celtics' playoff run before joining the Hornets on a fulltime basis. Lee spent five seasons under Mike Budenholzer before joining the Celtics last summer.

Lee received a four-year deal from the Hornets, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms of the deal were not made public.

Lee replaces Steve Clifford, who announced before the end of the regular season that he was stepping down as Hornets coach after two seasons in his second stint with the club. The Hornets finished 21-61 this season, tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for the league's third-worst record.

“The Hornets have a talented young core of players and I'm excited about our future and what we can build here,” Lee said. “There are few places as passionate about basketball as the Carolinas, and I look forward to coming to Charlotte and getting to work.”

Lee is well respected in NBA circles as a potential rising star in the coaching ranks.