Report: Ex-Suns HC Jay Triano to Be James Borrego's Top Assistant on Hornets

Jay Triano will join the Charlotte Hornets coaching staff and work under new Hornets coach James Borrego, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday.

Triano worked with the Phoenix Suns for the past two seasons. He started as an assistant for Earl Watson before replacing Watson as Phoenix's interim head coach three games into this year.

In addition to his 11 years as an assistant/associate coach and his interim run with the Suns, Triano was the Toronto Raptors' head coach for three seasons between 2008 and 2011. He has a 108-200 overall record as a head coach.

It speaks to Triano's reputation that he's taking another job where he'll be a top assistant to an inexperienced head coach.

Watson had 33 games under his belt before bringing Triano aboard, while Borrego has been an assistant coach for almost the entirety of his eight-year run in the NBA. He was the Orlando Magic's interim head coach for the second half of the 2014-15 season after Jacque Vaughn's firing.

The right staff can make a huge difference for new head coaches, which is why Steve Kerr identified Ron Adams and Alvin Gentry as ideal additions when he took the Golden State Warriors job in 2014.

Beyond the strategical help he'll provide, Triano can be an invaluable resource for Borrego as he adjusts to the differences between working as an assistant and running a team of his own.