Terry Stotts among three finalists for Hornets head coach job

Terry Stotts missed out on the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job when they hired Darvin Ham last week, but he remains in the mix for the same position with another team.

Stotts is one of at least three finalists to be named head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Mike D’Antoni and Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson are also on Charlotte’s short list.

Atkinson may be considered the front-runner for the job. The Athletic reports that he has a meeting set with Hornets owner Michael Jordan next week. Neither Stotts nor D’Antoni is scheduled to meet with Jordan yet, though that could change.

Stotts coached the Portland Trail Blazers for nine seasons from 2012-2021. The team made the playoffs eight times during that span. He was one of the first candidates the Lakers interviewed, but they may not have agreed with his vision for the team.

Like Stotts and D’Antoni, Atkinson also has previous head coaching experience. He was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2020.

The Hornets want to hire a coach who can maximize the talents of LaMelo Ball and get the most out of their young core. Some reports have indicated they believe D’Antoni can be that guy, but the job still seems very much up for grabs.