Pistons Rumors: Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee to Interview for HC Job amid Ime Udoka Buzz

The Detroit Pistons are reportedly set to interview former UConn head men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee for their vacant head coaching position.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on the Pistons' plans to interview Ollie, while ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Pistons had received permission to interview Lee, calling him a "significant" candidate in their search.

Detroit has also been linked to former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, as Wojnarowski reported this week that Udoka, Lee, Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn are among the candidates.

The Pistons' head coaching position became available Sunday when Dwane Casey announced he was transitioning into a front office role.

In five seasons with the Pistons, Casey went just 121-263 and made the playoffs in only his first year at the helm.

Detroit finished an NBA-worst 17-65 this season, giving it a 14 percent chance to land highly touted prospect Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets have the same odds.

Even if the Pistons don't get Wembanyama, there is reason for optimism moving forward because of talented young players like 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and 2022 first-rounders Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.

Ollie, who played at UConn and for several teams during a 13-year NBA career, is an intriguing candidate despite having no previous NBA coaching experience.

He is best known for coaching UConn from 2012 through 2018. He went 127-79, and before the Huskies won the 2023 national title, he coached them to their last national championship in 2014.

After going 14-18 in his final season at UConn and getting charged with multiple recruiting violations, Ollie was fired after the 2017-18 campaign.

Ollie is the head coach of professional developmental team Overtime Elite, taking the job in 2021.

Lee is a veteran NBA assistant, having coached under Mike Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks from 2014 to 2018 before following him to Milwaukee in 2018.

The 38-year-old was part of the Bucks staff that guided the team to the NBA championship in 2021, and he has been a popular head coaching candidate ever since.

With the Bucks earning the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season and being a top contender to win the NBA title, Lee is in a strong position to finally secure a head coaching role.