Ime Udoka Reportedly Forfeited Half of $4M Salary As Part of Celtics Suspension

Ime Udoka was required to forfeit half of his $4 million salary as part of the season-long suspension issued by the Boston Celtics, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

The Celtics banned Udoka for violating team policies, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting he had an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate and used crude language toward the woman.

Boston has said little about the nature of the specific allegations.

Per Wojnarowski, a law firm tasked with looking into the matter raised concerns about the power dynamic at play since Udoka is one of the most influential voices inside the organization.

Team governor Wyc Grousbeck declined to provide much new information when addressing the matter at. press conference.

"I am concerned about the situation and its impact on everybody in the Celtics' organization," he told reporters on Sept. 23. "I do hope this represents the beginning of a new chapter, and a chance to turn the page and move forward with things, to some extent, resolved."

Although Joe Mazzulla is only coaching the Celtics on an interim basis, it's unclear whether Udoka will be retained once his suspension ends.

The 45-year-old has already been linked with the Brooklyn Nets' vacancy, with the speculation beginning almost immediately after Steve Nash was fired.

Especially with how rapidly things evolved at first, the absence of a contract between Udoka and Brooklyn could be telling, however. Stein reported Sunday that "strong voices" have pushed for Nets majority governor Joe Tsai to pivot in another direction.

Stein followed up to report Udoka is the "preferred choice" for general manager Sean Marks and star Kevin Durant.