Following the recent front office drama in Boston, the Celtics are one of seven teams across the league who are looking for a new head coach next season.
As general manager Danny Ainge steps down, and Brad Stevens becoming the president of basketball operations for the Celtics, there have been many rumors about who the team’s next play caller could be.
While many teams in the NBA will be competing to fill this role, the Celtics could be an ideal destinations for incoming coaches, because of the young and talented roster that Boston currently has, led by star forward Jayson Tatum.
The first candidate that the Celtics seem to be eyeing is Chauncey Billups.
Billups, the former NBA point guard, is currently an assistant coach with the L.A. Clippers. He is highly regarded as one of the best guards in the history of the game.
Billups played 15 seasons in the league and was a 5 time all-star. He also won the 2004 NBA championship as a key member of the Detroit Pistons. While he is known for his years with the Pistons and Nuggets, Billups started his career in Boston after being drafted third overall in 1997.
Another potential coach that could end up with the Celtics is Ime Udoka.
Udoka is currently an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets. He bounced around many NBA teams for many years after going undrafted in 2000. Udoka was a member of the Lakers, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Kings, and Spurs. He also had many brief stints with international teams.
Since his playing days, Udoka has served as an assistant coach with the Spurs, 76ers, and now Nets.
His coaching experience is what could make him very attractive for Boston in their search for a new head coach.
Another candidate that has been on the Celtics roster is Darvin Ham.
Ham is currently an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. He played for over ten years in the NBA and internationally, spending brief time with many teams, including the Nuggets, Pistons, Wizards, Pacers, Hawks, and Bucks.
Since then, Ham has also had many positions as an assistant coach. He was the assistant coach for the Lakers, Hawks, and two G-league teams. Ham has quickly risen as a top coaching candidate around the league, not just for the Celtics as he’s been in the conversation for some other head coaching jobs too.