Charlotte Hornets interviewing Milwaukee Bucks’ assistant Charles Lee

As expected, the Milwaukee Bucks’ assistant coaches have drawn significant interest during the first wave of head coaching interviews across the NBA. Darvin Ham and Charles Lee are known as two of the best assistants in the league, and a handful of different teams have already requested permission to interview the pair for their respective head coaching openings. The list will continue to grow, just as it did Wednesday evening.

As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, the Charlotte Hornets have received permission to interview Lee for their heading coaching opening. This comes just days after they were granted permission to interview Ham for the opening, as the Hornets will get a chance to get a closer look at both of the Bucks’ top assistants. The other candidates being considered include Golden State Warriors’ assistant Kenny Atkinson, Dallas Mavericks’ Sean Sweeney, Brooklyn Nets’ David Vanterpool, and former Coach of the Year Mike D’Antoni. Those are some recognizable names, and it will be worth monitoring whether either of Milwaukee’s assistants ultimately lands the job.

Reactions to Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee interviewing for the Charlotte Hornets’ current head coaching opening

While Ham is oftentimes the assistant that garners the most attention, Lee has been a staple in coaching conversations over the past few years as well. Last offseason, the 37-year-old assistant had interviews with the OKC Thunder and Boston Celtics for their head coaching position, and the Sacramento Kings already requested permission to interview him for their opening. While it does not appear likely that Lee will get the Kings job, as there are reportedly three finalists that do not include him, there are several other opportunities.

The Charlotte job could be particularly interesting, given the team’s upward trajectory as a fun and youth-filled squad. Led by a 20-year-old All-Star in LaMelo Ball and several other solid pieces such as Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington, the Hornets have the pieces in place to take the next step as a team, but they need the right voice leading the way. As noted by an Eastern Conference scout in this reporting by The Athletic’s Erik Horne (subscription required), Lee is not only considered to be one of the best assistants in the league, but he has played a key part in Milwaukee’s development process over the years and has a great “presence” about him. A coach like that could work some wonders for not just a young team like Charlotte, but any team at all.

Both Lee and Ham are being considered for the Charlotte Hornets coaching opening, and it would be a great job for either. Whether or not they ultimately land this job, there are bound to be more and more teams expressing interest with each passing day. With more positions opening up, the number of reports like these is bound to skyrocket.

Best of luck, Charles!

For now, both Charles Lee and Darvin Ham will remain on the Milwaukee Bucks’ sidelines as they look to beat the Boston Celtics in round two of the NBA Playoffs.