James Borrego

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Smart, Ayton, Kleber, Luka, Reaves, Borrego

December 1st, 2025 at 8:32pm CST by Rory Maher

As expected, LeBron James is not on the Lakers‘ injury report for Monday’s game vs. Phoenix, which indicates he’ll be available to play, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group tweets.

The superstar forward sat out Sunday’s game with what the team called left foot injury management. Head coach JJ Redick explained prior to the win over New Orleans that Los Angeles was “just being cautious” with James, who has been dealing with a foot issue, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter links). Redick added that the team hopes to have James available for back-to-backs in the future.

The NBA’s oldest player extended his own league record last season by making his 21st consecutive All-NBA team — no other player has more than 15 total All-NBA appearances. James, who missed the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica on his right side, must play in 61 of the Lakers’ final 63 games in order to remain eligible to continue that streak, due to the 65-game rule.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

While James will return tonight, veteran guard Marcus Smart will miss his third straight game — and his injury designation has changed from lower back spasms to lower back injury management, Price notes. Redick expressed confidence on Monday that the 31-year-old would be back sooner rather later, calling him day-to-day, per Jovan Buha (Twitter link). “We expect him to be back soon,” Redick said. “It’s not a long-term thing.”
Starting center Deandre Ayton appeared to aggravate a right knee bruise in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, an injury which cost him about a game-and-a-half last week, Woike tweets. However, the Lakers held a comfortable lead at the time and the former No. 1 overall pick isn’t on the team’s injury report ahead of Monday’s game.
As Woike details in an entertaining story for The Athletic, during a poor stretch of play in the third quarter in which their lead was trimmed to 11 points, backup big man Maxi Kleber inexplicably air-balled an open layup on an and-one attempt (YouTube link), causing his teammates on the bench to start laughing. “We were just caught off guard. … We all thought he was going to dunk it. … Shot a fade-away layup. Crazy,” Gabe Vincent said Sunday. The Lakers immediately went on an 8-0 run after the moment of levity, which also served as a reminder of the good vibes around the team — the players often make fun of each other in a lighthearted way, Woike writes. “It’s very important,” Kleber said. “It’s a long season. Obviously, this was a funny play. But it could be serious, where we have a bad stretch, or a bad game, and it’s important that we stick together as a team. And that we can laugh about things and just work it out and not take it too hard. Because we know we’re good. And I think it helps to regain focus quickly.”
It wasn’t the prettiest game, but the Lakers won their seventh straight contest on Sunday to improve to 15-4 on the season. Backcourt stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves combined for 67 points and 15 assists, notes Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times, becoming just the fourth pair of teammates in the past 50 years to each score at least 30 points in three consecutive games. “The gravity that he has on the court, it’s impossible to guard him any certain way because [of] his ability to pass the ball, his unselfishness and his shot-making ability,” Reaves said of Doncic. “Then, once you blitz him, then you have advantage basketball and we like our chances.”
Prior to Sunday’s game, Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego reflected on being a finalist for the Lakers’ coaching vacancy during the 2024 offseason, which ultimately went to Redick (Twitter video link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). “I grew up a Lakers fan, number one, so to come here and interview for the job was so surreal and like a dream,” Borrego said in part.

Pelicans Notes: Injuries, Peavy, McGowens, Borrego

November 30th, 2025 at 9:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Seven Pelicans — including their five highest-paid players — are out for Sunday’s game at the Lakers, per Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter links).

In addition to Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture), Jordan Poole (left quad strain), Karlo Matkovic (right calf strain) and Herbert Jones, who have all missed multiple games with their respective injuries, Jordan Hawkins will be unavailable for his second straight contest due to an illness, as will Trey Murphy III, who is battling right elbow soreness.

The seventh Pelican out tonight is star forward Zion Williamson, who is missing the second game of a back-to-back after the Pelicans lost at Golden State on Saturday. Williamson’s designation is left hamstring injury management — he missed eight games earlier this month with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Second-round pick Micah Peavy and fourth-year wing Bryce McGowens have been taking on challenging defensive assignments recently with Jones sidelined, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “That’s what I want to do,” said Peavy, who finished Monday’s game with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and four steals in 20 minutes. “Herb is a great defender. And I want to be known as a great defender in this league. I take on that challenge of guarding the best player, especially when Herb’s out. I think I’m doing a pretty good job.” McGowens is on a two-way contract with New Orleans, while Peavy signed a multiyear standard deal after being selected No. 40 overall in June’s draft.
The Pelicans are just 1-7 since James Borrego took over as interim head coach following the dismissal of Willie Green, who was fired after a 2-10 start. However, the team has shown signs of progress, namely being more competitive in its losses, according to Walker. “As a competitor, I want us to win and I want us to make every shot,” Borrego said. “The results can overwhelm you at times. The best organizations I’ve been a part of are process-driven. They have an identity and they know what they believe in. They know what shots they are trying to create, whether they go in or not. Trust that this is where we need to go and the results will take care of themselves. We are getting closer to that. We are not near where we need to be, but we are getting close.”
Players have been pleased with Borrego’s performance thus far, Walker adds in the same story. “I know he’s in a tough spot with everything that went on,” Williamson said. “He’s been doing a great job finding our identity for the team. The guys are behind him. The staff is behind him. We’re with him.”

Southwest Notes: Sheppard, Edey, Coward, Pelicans

November 25th, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard made just 2-of-9 shots from the floor in his first start of the season on Monday in Phoenix, but he contributed five assists and three steals in his 27 minutes, and Houston was a +6 when he was on the court. It marked the eighth consecutive game in which the Rockets outscored their opponent during Sheppard’s minutes.

While the 21-year-old still has plenty of room to grow, Sheppard has taken a significant step forward so far this season, with his averages – 13.1 PPG and 3.2 APG on .490/.471/.706 shooting – up across the board. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Houston’s odds of competing for a title are only increasing as a result of the second-year guard’s improvement.

“The real thing is the opportunity he’s getting, and he’s taking advantage of it,” head coach Ime Udoka said of Sheppard last week. “You’re going to get more of a rhythm with the more minutes and opportunities you get. We needed him to take that step this year, regardless of Fred (VanVleet) being out. He’s really been great. We want him to continue to be confident.”

Sheppard, who started in place of Kevin Durant on Monday, could have another opportunity to be part of the starting five on Wednesday in Golden State, with Durant out for a second straight game for personal reasons.

Here’s more from out of the Southwest:

After missing the first 13 games of the Grizzlies‘ season as he recovered from offseason ankle surgery, center Zach Edey exited his fifth game back early on Monday due to a head injury. If Edey is forced to miss time, it would be a major blow to Memphis, says Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, given that the club has a +16.5 net rating in Edey’s minutes and a -8.0 mark when he doesn’t play. “Zach is a huge part of what we do, both offensively and defensively,” teammate Cedric Coward said after Monday’s loss to Denver. “Just his presence alone is so meaningful to the team. You guys understand, when he came back, how much better our team got defensively, on the rebounding end, even the offensive end. His roles are gravitating guys inside, so we’re getting easier shots on the outside. It was a huge loss.”
Coward has been one of the NBA’s most productive rookies this fall and is making the Grizzlies look good for trading up to No. 11 in June to draft him, as a Western Conference scout tells Grant Afseth of RG.org. “He only played six Division I games after the partially torn rotator cuff, and that made him one of the biggest unknowns in the draft,” the scout said of Coward. “A lot of scouts weren’t sure how his game would translate against top talent because he’d spent most of his college career at Willamette and Eastern Washington. But Memphis clearly saw something real. … And now he’s outperforming even the optimistic projections. He looks completely comfortable at this level.”
The Pelicans‘ past two games provided a reminder of Zion Williamson‘s impact. After scoring just 98 points on Saturday as Williamson sat out the second game of a back-to-back, New Orleans poured in 143 points on Monday vs. Chicago with Williamson back on the court. While the star forward led the way with 29 points, Monday’s performance was a team effort, with eight players scoring in double figures, writes Les East of NOLA.com. “You couldn’t ask for a better team win when you look at the stat sheet,” said interim head coach James Borrego, who registered his first win since taking over for Willie Green.
Outside of the Hornets, who drafted four players in the top 34 in June, no team has gotten more minutes from its rookies so far this season than the Pelicans, according to Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. That trend figures to continue going forward, Eichenhofer posits, since Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and Micah Peavy are all part of the rotation now and should see regular playing time with several New Orleans veterans sidelined due to injuries.

Pelicans Notes: Dumars, Weaver, Borrego, Mosley, Peavy

November 19th, 2025 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans didn’t conduct an extensive search before hiring Joe Dumars as their new head of basketball operations in the spring, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who hears from sources that Dumars has one of the NBA’s “most generous” executive contracts despite the fact that New Orleans isn’t typically among the league’s bigger spenders.

After the Pelicans hired Dumars and awarded him that “generous” contract just two days after firing David Griffin and three days after last season ended, the veteran executive seems to be deferring to top lieutenant Troy Weaver on many of the team’s biggest roster decisions, Hollinger writes. Echoing earlier reporting from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Hollinger says the offseason trades for Jordan Poole and Derik Queen were both believed to be spearheaded by Weaver.

According to Hollinger, executives around the NBA were “utterly baffled” by the Pelicans’ decision to bring in Weaver as their senior VP of basketball operations, since there “wasn’t exactly a bidding war” among teams looking to hire him in a high-ranking front office role after a disappointing run with the Pistons. Sources in Detroit tell The Athletic that no one from the Pelicans called Weaver’s former team to vet him before he was hired in New Orleans.

Still, Hollinger isn’t blaming Weaver for the Pelicans’ slow start this season, suggesting that team owner Gayle Benson and Dumars deserve more of the criticism for their “arm’s-length operation” of the organization and the basketball operations department, respectively.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), James Borrego‘s best chance to keep the Pelicans’ head coaching job beyond this season would be to significantly improve the team’s offense, which ranked 27th in the NBA at the time of Willie Green‘s dismissal. Borrego is known for his offensive acumen, Fischer notes — the Hornets ranked eighth in that department during the coach’s final year in Charlotte in 2021/22.
Hollinger is skeptical that Borrego will remain in New Orleans long-term, suggesting this season will more likely be an audition for his next job, with a Weaver-connected candidate such as Kevin Ollie getting the Pelicans’ permanent job next spring. While Fischer has also heard the rumblings linking Ollie to the Pelicans, he says Ollie’s standing in New Orleans is “a bit murky.”
One name that would be on the Pelicans’ wish list, according to Fischer, is Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley, though there’s no indication that he’ll become available anytime soon. As Fischer writes, Orlando’s front office initiated some changes to Mosley’s coaching staff during the offseason, and the team got off to a slow start this fall amid whispers of a disconnect between Mosley and star forward Paolo Banchero. However, the club appears to be hitting its stride this month — the Magic have won seven of their last 10 games, with two of those losses coming by just four points apiece.
Queen and Jeremiah Fears have played greater roles in the early going, but another Pelicans rookie, second-rounder Micah Peavy, is starting to earn regular playing time too, observes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. A 6’7″ wing, Peavy has appeared in each of New Orleans’ past seven games and submitted his best performance of the season on Monday vs. Oklahoma City, contributing 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with four assists and four rebounds. “I thought he came out and gave us great energy,” Borrego said. “Crashing the boards. Defensively, he really impacted that game. So I’m really proud of him. He responded tonight and that was a bright spot, for sure.”
As Walker details, Peavy takes pride in his defense and has said he wants to make a Jose Alvarado-esque impact by bringing “energy” as part of the Pelicans’ second unit. “I want to be that spark plug off the bench. I see how Jose goes in and he’s the spark plug, and I want to do that as well,” Peavy said. “Do whatever it takes to be on the floor and make winning plays. Especially with my defense. That’s where I think I can help the team the most. And then knock down shots like I did (Monday).”

Pelicans Notes: Borrego, Green, Dumars, Poole, Coaching Search

November 17th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans had a new head coach for Sunday’s game against Golden State, but the result was familiar, writes Les East of NOLA.com. Playing its first game under James Borrego, who was promoted after Willie Green was fired on Saturday, New Orleans suffered its fifth straight loss and fell to 2-11 on the season.

“We’ve got a lot to do,” Borrego said. “The beauty of this game is you come back to work the next day. … It doesn’t get any easier. We’ve got another juggernaut coming in.”

He was referring to Monday’s contest against 13-1 Oklahoma City, which provides another tough challenge for a team badly in need of wins. Borrego made his first lineup change on Sunday, giving a first career start to rookie big man Derik Queen, who finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in 24-plus minutes. The Pelicans got balanced scoring with four players in double figures, but committed 20 turnovers that resulted in 27 Warriors points.

“There were costly, careless turnovers in transition,” Borrego said. “We’ve got to have more poise. There’s a balance between playing fast and frenetic and playing with poise. We’ve got to be opportunistic (in transition).”

There’s more from New Orleans:

There was surprise around the league that Green wasn’t fired sooner considering the Pelicans’ poor start, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto hears that executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was supportive of Green early in the season, but conveyed a constant message that the team needed to improve. Sources tell Scotto that offseason addition Jordan Poole was upset after being removed from the starting lineup on October 29, and Green’s coaching style had become “stale” with Trey Murphy III. Scotto adds that some players and other members of the organization believed Green didn’t do enough to hold Zion Williamson accountable.
Dumars held a meeting with his staff this summer where he talked about emphasizing defense, toughness, high basketball IQ and a high motor, then completed a trade an hour later for Poole, who doesn’t fit that description, sources tell Scotto. Poole’s salary of $31.8MM this season and $34MM in 2026/27 was considered “a tough contract to move” by rival executives, Scotto adds. That trade and the deal sending an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta in exchange for Queen were pushed by senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver, Dumars’ long-time associate, Scotto reports.
Weaver is also a strong supporter of Kevin Ollie, who has been mentioned as a possibility to eventually take over as head coach, Scotto adds. Scotto identifies Tom Thibodeau, Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins as free agent coaches who might interest the Pelicans, but speculates that their “price tags could be too rich” for the team. In his latest Substack column (subscription required), Marc Stein of The Stein Line points to Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as a name to watch in the coaching search.

Pelicans Notes: Ollie, Borrego, Head Coaching Job, Dumars

November 15th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Former UConn head coach Kevin Ollie, who was interim coach of the Nets at the end of the 2023/24 season, is among the candidates for the Pelicans‘ head coaching job, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

A journeyman guard who played for 11 different teams in his 13 NBA seasons, Ollie began his coaching career after retiring as a player in 2010. He was the head coach at UConn from 2012-18 and won a national title with the Huskies in 2014 but lost his job after the NCAA opened an investigation into UConn and its coaches for recruiting violations.

Ollie was also the head coach of the Overtime Elite program from 2021-23 and was a finalist for the Pistons’ top coaching job in the 2023 offseason.

James Borrego, who is expected to remain interim coach of the Pelicans for the rest of the season in the wake of Willie Green‘s dismissal, will also be considered for the full-time role, Begley adds.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

While Borrego is respected by the new front office led by executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars, Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints hears there’s skepticism the former Hornets coach will replace Green on a permanent basis. Citing a source, Dodson says Dumars is “quietly” looking for a new head coach who could “completely shake up the organization and reset the culture.” Dodson lists the six external candidates he views as the best fits for the position, including Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins.
On a conference call with the media, Dumars explained his rationale for firing Green, as Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com relays. “I was looking for the team to compete hard every night,” Dumars said Saturday, reiterating a message he delivered at his introductory press conference in April. “If we start losing the same way over and over again, that’s not improvement. That was really the one thing I talked to the coaching staff about, ‘Guys, we have to establish that we’re going to play hard every night.’ Before you can become anything in this league, you have to establish that first as a team. It was that judgment (that led to a change) more than identity, more than the offense or defense, or the won-loss record.”
When asked if he was concerned about trading the team’s 2026 first-round pick in a draft-day deal with Atlanta (to acquire Derik Queen), Dumars said he hasn’t been thinking about it, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). “I’m not sitting here worried about the pick that we don’t have,” Dumars said.

Pelicans Dismiss Head Coach Willie Green

November 15th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

10:55 am: Borrego will remain the interim coach for the remainder of the season, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.

8:41 am: The Pelicans have fired head coach Willie Green, NBA insider Chris Haynes reports (via Twitter). James Borrego will take over as the team’s interim coach, per Marc J. Spears of ESPN (Twitter link).

The change comes as no surprise. New Orleans has lost four straight and sits at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 2-10 record.

It was reported last month that they were having “serious” internal discussions about Green’s future. Team owner Gayle Benson told NOLA.com this week that any decision on Green’s job status would be made by executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars.

The Pelicans released a statement confirming Green’s dismissal and Borrego’s promotion.

“After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach,” Dumars said in the statement. “I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I’m sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.”

Benson also confirmed that Dumars made the decision to relieve Green of his duties.

“As I have stated, Joe Dumars is in charge of basketball operations decisions, and as one of the best basketball minds in the business, I trust him to make the right decisions for our franchise,” she said. “I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I truly appreciate all he has done for our organization over the last few years. This is a tough business and these are difficult decisions. My expectation is to be a winning team that competes for championships, and I remain steadfast in our commitment to building a championship-caliber organization for our players, partners, and above all, our fans.”

Green was named New Orleans’ head coach prior to the 2021/22 season and the team’s record steadily improved during his first three seasons. The Pelicans posted 36 wins in his first year, 42 the next and 49 in 2023/24. They made the playoffs in two of those seasons, falling in the first round both times.

Everything fell apart last season with injuries to multiple rotation players greasing the skids for a 21-61 season. Dumars was hired afterward and chose to stick with Green in the short term, but the club’s disastrous start led to his dismissal.

Pivoting to Borrego is also not a surprise.

Earlier this month, Marc Stein reported that Borrego was retained as New Orleans’ lead assistant in anticipation of a possible head coaching change. Stein noted that the Pelicans denied a request from the Knicks to interview Borrego to become the lead assistant on Mike Brown‘s staff.

Borrego, of course, has plenty of head coaching experience. He was Orlando’s interim coach in 2014/15, then had a four-year stint as Charlotte’s head coach from 2018-22. He has compiled a 148-183 record during his head coaching career.

Stein’s Latest: Morant, W. Green, Borrego, Vucevic, Irving, Davis

November 3rd, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Trade speculation regarding Ja Morant has perked up following his confrontation with the coaching staff and subsequent one-game suspension, but the idea of the Grizzlies moving Morant isn’t a new concept, Marc Stein of The Stein Line writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Rival teams have been monitoring Morant’s situation in Memphis since this summer, according to Stein, when the organization gave a huge extension to Jaren Jackson Jr. but didn’t pursue a similar deal with Morant. The Grizzlies unloaded salary for a renegotiation and extension that resulted in a new deal for Jackson valued at an estimated $240MM over five years.

Regarding Morant, who has two years at $87MM+ left on his current deal after this season, Stein notes that general manager Zach Kleiman called this “a big season for Ja” at media day, adding, “I think it is fair to say as we continue to build this team, to be able to achieve a high-end outcome, we need Ja to be a consistent All-NBA-caliber player.”

Stein also points out that Kleiman has “very publicly backed” head coach Tuomas Iisalo in the current dispute with Morant.

Stein offers m0re inside information from around the league:

Sunday’s 31-point loss at Oklahoma City is turning up the heat on Pelicans coach Willie Green, Stein adds. At 0-6, New Orleans is one of two remaining winless teams and time may be running out to salvage the season. They already have three 30-point losses, and there are serious concerns about whether the Pelicans have enough shooting and play-making to work their way into the play-in race. Stein notes that owner Gayle Benson is fond of Green, and there were rumors that she forced Joe Dumars to keep him in place when he took over as head of basketball operations. New Orleans is under pressure to win this season after sending an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta in the Derik Queen trade, so patience with Green might be very thin. Stein notes that the Pelicans denied a request from the Knicks to interview associate head coach James Borrego this summer to become the lead assistant on Mike Brown‘s staff. Stein states that there were whispers behind the scenes that the organization was keeping Borrego in anticipation of a potential coaching change.
Nikola Vucevic was heavily involved in trade speculation dating back to last season’s deadline, but he’s rewarding the Bulls‘ decision to hold onto him, Stein notes. The 35-year-old center, who has an expiring $21.5MM contract, is off to a fast start, averaging 19.3 points and 12.3 rebounds through six games. His trade value is increasing, but Chicago may decide to keep him if it remains in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Head coach Jason Kidd offered hope over the weekend that Kyrie Irving may be back sooner than expected, but sources tell Stein that the timeline for the Mavericks guard should still be considered “fluid.” Stein was surprised to see Anthony Davis going through a pregame workout Saturday at Mexico City. Davis is sidelined with a low-grade left calf strain and will be reevaluated on Tuesday after the team returns from its current road trip.

Pelicans’ Willie Green Reportedly On Hot Seat

October 30th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are having “serious” internal discussions about head coach Willie Green, league sources tell Brett Siegel and Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints.

After winning just 21 games last season, the Pelicans revamped their front office and retooled their roster during the offseason. Amid those changes, however, Green held onto his head coaching job under new executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars.

New Orleans entered this fall hoping for a bounce-back season, but the team hasn’t gotten off to a good start. After tight losses to Memphis and San Antonio, the Pelicans have been blown out in each of their last two games, losing by 32 points at home to Boston on Monday and by 34 in Denver on Wednesday.

Sources tell ClutchPoints that multiple Pelicans players have appeared frustrated by Green’s lineup decisions and that there’s a growing sense around the league that the fifth-year coach has lost the locker room.

The Pelicans will play on Friday against the Clippers in L.A. and on Sunday against the Thunder in Oklahoma City before returning home. It’s possible a decision on Green’s future will be made at the conclusion of that road trip, according to Siegel and Dodson, who say assistant James Borrego would be the favorite to take over in the event of a coaching change.

Green has a record of 148-184 (.446) since being hired by New Orleans in 2021. The team has made the playoffs twice during Green’s tenure and won 49 regular season games in 2023/24, but hasn’t advanced beyond the first round, losing to the Suns in six games in 2022 and to the Thunder in four games in 2024.

Following Wednesday’s one-sided loss in Denver, which dropped the Pelicans to 0-4, Green said that the club needs to “dig down and find our identity,” per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.

“We have to believe in each other. That’s first,” he said. “The first order of business is you’ve got to compete harder, play harder, play more together and the belief has to be there.”

James Borrego To Remain Pelicans’ Top Assistant

July 9th, 2025 at 11:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego will remain in his current position on Willie Green‘s staff, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

One of the finalists for the head coaching job in New York, Borrego was rumored to be a prime target for the Knicks as they seek an associate head coach under new head coach Mike Brown. He was also targeted by the Nuggets to be their lead assistant under David Adelman but the Pelicans denied Denver’s front office permission to interview him.

The 47-year-old Borrego has served as associate head coach under Green in New Orleans for the past two seasons. He has previous head coaching experience, compiling a 138-163 record in four seasons with the Hornets.

Borrego has worked in the league since 2010, spending time as an assistant coach with the Hornets, Magic and Spurs before getting the head coaching opportunity in Charlotte. He also served as the interim head coach in Orlando during the 2014/15 season, compiling a 10-20 record in 30 games.

Rick Brunson, who was Tom Thibodeau‘s lead assistant last season, reportedly will have a lesser role under Brown.

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