Kings’ Jordi Fernandez emerges as top candidate for Brooklyn Nets head coaching job

Sacramento Kings assistant coachJordi Fernandez is expected to be hired as the next head coach ofthe Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN’s AdrianWojnarowski.

Fernandez, 41, will take over arebuilding Nets squad that finished the 2023-2024 season with a32-50 record, 11th in the East. He will replace interim head coachKevin Ollie, who was appointed in the middle of the season afterBrooklyn fired Jacque Vaughn.

Fernandez will continue to bepart of Mike Brown’s staff in Sacramento as they prepare for the2024 Play-In Tournament for a spot in the 2024 Playoffs.

The Barcelona, Spain native hasbeen one of the leading candidates for the position as one of thefast-rising young coaches in the league. He led the CanadianNational team last summer in the FIBA World Cup 2023 to a bronzemedal finish – the country’s highest-ever in thetournament.

Starting next season, Fernandezwill now handle the Nets featuring their young talent in CamThomas, Mikal Bridges, Ben Simmons, and Cameron Johnson as theytrek the second year of the post-Big Three era of Kevin Durant,Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.