When the Hornets fired James Borrego two years ago, who knew he might be in the position he is now to potentially lead one of the NBA’s most historic franchises.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Borrego is viewed as a likely finalist to land the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach job. Borrego and ESPN analyst JJ Redick are viewed as the leaders in the clubhouse to eventually land the Lakers gig, which will ultimately be decided within the next few weeks.
Following a year off from coaching following his unceremonious exit in Charlotte, Borrego was hired by the New Orleans Pelicans to become their associate head coach under Willie Green. Borrego helped improve New Orleans jump from No. 20 to No. 11 in offensive rating, which has been his calling card conducting modern free-flowing attacks.
New Orleans is trying to keep Borrego, but the Hornets former head coach is viewed not only as a serious candidate in Los Angeles but also Cleveland. With the Cavaliers firing J.B. Bickerstaff, Borrego was immediately pointed out alongside current Golden State Warriors lead assistant Kenny Atkinson as favorites for the opening.
It’s very clear at this point Borrego’s exit from the Hornets hasn’t left any negative impressions around the Association. If anything, Borrego is viewed as a solid bounce-back candidate to succeed in his next role as lead coaching voice of an NBA organization.
During his four-year stint with the Hornets, Borrego compiled a 138-163 record. Only one year into his tenure in Charlotte, the Hornets maneuvered a sign-and-trade sending franchise icon and best player Kemba Walker to the Boston Celtics. This led the Hornets into a rebuilding effort, which now saw Borrego leading LaMelo Ball and a young roster.
Borrego oversaw 10-win improvements for the Hornets each season, which ended in a Play-In Tournament loss to the Indiana Pacers in 2022 for a 43-39 squad.
It will be very interesting to see how Borrego does at his next stop, if he does indeed end up with either the Lakers or Cavaliers gigs.
For the Hornets, it was the right decision to part ways with Borrego. It was clear coach and roster weren’t on the same timeline, and either of these destinations would offer instant gratification to Borrego as potential title contenders.