Report: Ime Udoka, Rockets eyeing James Borrego as lead assistant

New Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is reportedly set to hire Brooklyn’s Royal Ivey in the near future, along with three assistants from his former job in Boston. The link between Udoka and one of those Celtics assistants, Ben Sullivan, was first reported in early May by Ari Alexander of KPRC, Houston’s NBC affiliate.

Now, Alexander is reporting that an even bigger name — James Borrego, former head coach of the Charlotte Hornets — could be in play as Udoka attempts to fill out his bench.

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Borrego actually interviewed with Houston for the head coaching vacancy in April before the Rockets decided on Udoka. Since then, Borrego has understandably passed on any potential jobs as an assistant to pursue other lead jobs. But with those being filled as the weeks progress, he could soon be shifting his focus to lesser roles.

Alexander writes:

Borrego is another name to watch, potentially as a lead assistant, a league source told KPRC 2. Borrego has interest from Houston, Brooklyn, New Orleans and Dallas, per a league source.

Borrego has four seasons of experience as a head coach, leading the Hornets from 2018-2022. He also led the Magic for 30 games as an interim coach in 2014-15. Borrego is well respected throughout the league and is also known for his tenure under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs.

Borrego, known for his offensive acumen, could be an interesting pairing with the defensive minded Udoka. As Alexander stated, the two already have a working relationship from multiple years in San Antonio on the staff of one of the best coaches in NBA history.

It isn’t yet clear what Borrego’s preference is regarding those four franchises. The relationship he has with each coach and financial offers from each team’s ownership group could play a large role.

Stay tuned!

Sources: Celtics assistants among those targeted for Rockets staff https://t.co/hmbTancMrv

— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) May 31, 2023