Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is set to meet with Hornets owner Michael Jordan for a second time this offseason on Tuesday to discuss the franchise’s current coaching vacancy, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
D’Antoni was previously considered to be one of the finalists for the Charlotte job, alongside Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, who was expected to accept the position after the NBA Finals. However, Atkinson ultimately decided to return to the Warriors as the team’s top assistant, leaving the Hornets to turn back to their other finalist.
D’Antoni, 71, was last on the sidelines with the Nets as an assistant during the 2020–21 NBA season. He stepped down from the position after just one year and spent the 2021–22 campaign as a coaching advisor with the Pelicans.
D’Antoni is considered one of the brightest coaching minds in basketball across the last 20 seasons. His most recent head coaching stint came in Houston (2016–20), when he paired with All-NBA guard James Harden to establish one of the most effective offenses in the league. He led the Rockets to four straight playoff appearances, including a Western Conference finals berth in ’18, and posted a 217–101 regular season record with the franchise.
Before coaching in Houston, D’Antoni boasted head coaching jobs with four other teams: the Nuggets (1998–99), Suns (2003–08), Knicks (2008–12) and Lakers (2012–14).
With the Hornets, D’Antoni would have the opportunity to take over a young team, poised to make the leap to contention in the coming years. Led by 2022 All-Star LaMelo Ball, Charlotte went 43–39 last season under James Borrego and narrowly missed out on an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Combined with a few moves in free agency, a new voice at the helm could be exactly what the Hornets need to get into the postseason field next year.
