New NBA Rumors Updates Pelicans HC Search, Latest Buzz on James Borrego

Another disastrous New Orleans Pelicans season has come to an end, which means the team is now tasked with finding its new head coach.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Pelicans will open up their coaching search this week, and interim head coach James Borrego is expected to be a candidate.

Borrego has been around the NBA since the early 2000s, serving as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs before stops in New Orleans and Orlando and another stint in San Antonio.

He landed his first and only head coaching job with the Charlotte Hornets in 2018. Borrego's tenure with the Hornets was by no means a successful one, but one could argue he did well considering what he was working with. He led the team to a pair of play-in tournament appearances and a 43-win season in 2021-22.

The Hornets moved on from him ahead of the 2022-23 season, replacing him with Steve Clifford, who lasted just two seasons.

After his Charlotte exit, Borrego returned to New Orleans as an assistant coach on Willie Green's staff. The Pelicans fired Green after a 2-10 start to the season, naming Borrego the interim coach.

Borrego wasn't able to correct the course after the disastrous start, finishing with a record of 26-56, New Orleans' second consecutive season with fewer than 30 wins.

Along with Borrego, Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham is expected to be a target for the Pelicans, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer. Ham was the Los Angeles Lakers head coach from 2022 to 2024, where he collected a record of 90-74.

Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reportedly was in the mix for the Pelicans job before he accepted the North Carolina head coaching gig.