James Borrego Reportedly Will Stay With Pelicans Amid Knicks Rumors After Brown Hire
James Borrego is reportedly staying put after missing out on the New York Knicks' head coaching job.
According to SNY's Ian Begley and Fred Katz of The Athletic, Borrego is returning to the New Orleans Pelicans next season after serving as their associate head coach last season.
Borrego interviewed for the Knicks' head coaching position, and after the organization hired Mike Brown, it had interest in making Borrego his lead assistant, per Begley and Katz.
However, Borrego is remaining in New Orleans, as he is still under contract with the Pelicans and "highly valued" by the organization as Willie Green's top assistant, according to Begley.
Borrego, 47, is best known for his four-year run as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2022, along with a 30-game run as interim head coach of the Orlando Magic in 2014-15.
Although he was a highly touted hire by the Hornets after serving as an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs for three seasons, Borrego did not achieve much success in Charlotte.
Borrego posted a record of 138-163 with no playoff appearances, although Charlotte did manage a 43-39 record in his final year at the helm.
Since Borrego's firing, the Hornets have gone a combined 67-179 over the past three seasons.
The Pelicans added Borrego to their staff in 2023, and New Orleans posted a 49-33 record and reached the playoffs that season.
Last season represented a steep drop-off for the Pels, as numerous injuries to key players resulted in New Orleans being one of the NBA's worst teams with a 21-61 mark.
The Pelicans are returning a core of Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones, and they acquired guard Jordan Poole in a trade with the Washington Wizards, so there is hope for a bounce back next season if they can largely stay healthy.
As for the Knicks, they are coming off a 2024-25 season that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
They fired head coach Tom Thibodeau despite their success, but even with the controversial coaching change, the Knicks are expected to be one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference next season thanks to a roster led by Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart.
