Hornets reportedly hire Spurs assistant James Borrego as head coach

One popular name has officially come off the NBA head coaching market, as former San Antonio Spurs assistant James Borrego has agreed to a deal with the Charlotte Hornets.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the news.

Spurs assistant James Borrego is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 8, 2018

Borrego was in his second stint working under Gregg Popovich. He joined the Spurs staff in 2003 and was on their championship-winning teams in 2005 and 2007. He left to become an assistant on the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2010 before joining the Orlando Magic in 2012 and briefly becoming their interim head coach in 2015, compiling a record of 10-20 (.333). Borrego finally returned to San Antonio later that year.

Borrego seemingly had numerous opportunities to get into head coaching this offseason. He met with the New York Knicks about their head coaching vacancy at one point, and at least one college team was also interested in pursuing him as a head coach.