NBA Rumors: Spurs' Ime Udoka to Interview for Hornets' Head Coach Opening

The Charlotte Hornets will reportedly interview San Antonio Spurs assistant Ime Udoka for their head coaching vacancy. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Udoka, Spurs assistant Ettore Messina and former Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale are slated to meet with Charlotte officials this week.

Udoka, 40, has been an assistant with the Spurs since 2012. He previously played seven seasons in the NBA, interspersed with a career overseas.

The Hornets are looking for a new coach after firing Steve Clifford earlier this month. Clifford led Charlotte to playoff appearances in two of his five years with the franchise, but the Hornets have disappointed the last two seasons with consecutive 36-46 records. 

While Udoka hasn't been close to receiving a head-coaching job yet, it's clear it's only a matter of time before he's leading a team. Spurs players and coaches have raved about his coaching acumen, and former teammates have long viewed him as a coach in waiting. 

"He's respected by the players because he played hard," former teammate Robert Horry said in 2017, per Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News. "A lot of guys have egos where they're like, 'You can't tell me anything. You didn't play.' With Ime, he played, but he played hard."

Whoever takes the Hornets job will be facing a challenge. Charlotte capped itself out following a surprise 2015-16 playoff run and does not have much financial flexibility this summer. It's possible new general manager Mitch Kupchak unloads draft picks to rid the team of ugly contracts, which will make the job even harder for an incoming coach.