Clifford returning for second stint as coach of Hornets
Steve Clifford is heading back to Charlotte.
Clifford has agreed to a multiyear contract to return as head coach of the NBA's Hornets, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the team has not yet announced the move.
Charlotte previously agreed to terms on a fouryear contract with Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson to become head coach, but Atkinson later informed the team he was not taking the job because of family reasons.
The 60-year-old Clifford spent five seasons coaching the Hornets from 2013-18, compiling a 196-214 record with a team that included Kemba Walker.
He led the Hornets to two playoff appearances prior to being fired in 2018 when Mitch Kupchak arrived as general manager. Clifford coached the Magic from 2018-21 and worked last season as a coaching consultant for the Brooklyn Nets. Clifford is 292-345 in eight seasons as an NBA coach.
His best season in Charlotte came in 2015-16 when the Hornets went 48-34 and lost in seven games to the Miami Heat in the first round the playoffs.
Team owner Michael Jordan met Wednesday with Clifford, who left the team on good terms in 2018.
Clifford is known as a defensive-minded coach.
The Hornets finished sixth, 10th, ninth, 17th and 17th in defensive rating during Clifford's five seasons. Charlotte was 22nd in the NBA this past season under James Borrego, who was fired in April. The Hornets
gave up 132 points in a 29-point loss to the Hawks in the play-in elimination game last season, which didn't sit well with Jordan.
Clifford inherits a team that is arguably more talented than any of his previous Charlotte teams with All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges anchoring the squad.
Atkinson's decision to renege on his contract on Saturday shocked the Hornets and sent them scrambling for a replacement.
Kupchak said that it was “disappointing,” but that in some ways he's grateful it happened when it did.
“I think he would have been a good pick, but if he's not comfortable here I would rather find out now than a year from now,” Kupchak said Thursday night during the NBA draft.
Mike D'Antoni and Terry Stotts were also in consideration for the job.
Charlotte traded its 13th overall pick to the New York Knicks for a future first round pick and four second-round picks and then took Duke center Mark Williams at No. 15. Charlotte added Nebraska guard Bryce McGowens in the second round.
The general manager said Atkinson's decision reminded him of when Steve Kerr turned down the New York Knicks coaching job, only to go to Golden State where he's won four NBA titles.
“It looks like (Kerr) make a good decision to take the job at Golden State,” Kupchak said with a laugh. “So maybe Kenny spoke to Steve, and Steve said, `Hey, maybe things will work out this way for you.' I don't know.”
Kerr told NBC Sports that Atkinson turned down the job because he didn't want
to uproot his family again. GRIZZLIES, 76ERS FINALIZE DEAL >> The Memphis Grizzlies announced the final pieces of their draft night trade sending guard De'Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers for wing Danny Green and the draft rights to forward David Roddy.
The 6-foot-6 Green has started 709 of 819 regularseason games in 13 NBA seasons with Cleveland, San Antonio, Toronto, the Lakers and the 76ers. The 46th overall pick in 2009 out of North Carolina, Green is a three-time NBA champ with the Spurs (2014), the Raptors (2019) and the Lakers (2020).
Roddy is a 6-6, 255-pound forward taken with the No. 23 overall pick Thursday night. He was the Mountain West Player of the Year who averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists this past season for Colorado State.
He led Colorado State to its first NCAA Tournament since 2013.
Melton has spent the past three seasons of his four-year career with Memphis. He has started 55 of 235 games and averaged 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds
and 2.7 assists with the Grizzlies.
TOP PICK ARRIVES IN ORLANDO >> The secret about how Orlando was going to take Duke's Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft was incredibly well-kept.
Among those who didn't know: Banchero himself.
Banchero said even he was kept out of the Magic decision loop until about 30 seconds before NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took the draft stage to announce his name for the basketball world to hear. Mike Miller, Banchero's agent, leaned over and broke the news by simply saying “Congratulations.”
“It all happened pretty fast,” Banchero said.
With that, he was off and running. Banchero arrived in Orlando on Friday, one day after his name got permanently etched on the list of No. 1 draft picks. The 6-foot-10 forward will officially start workouts next week.
“There's going to be high expectations for myself that I'm going to hold myself to and that everyone is going to hold myself to,” Banchero said.