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Charlotte Hornets Hire Former Detroit Pistons Coach

The Charlotte Hornets are bringing on a former Detroit Pistons assistant.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 10, 2011; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; The Detroit Pistons logo before the game between the Oakland Golden Grizzlies and the Michigan Wolverines at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2011; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; The Detroit Pistons logo before the game between the Oakland Golden Grizzlies and the Michigan Wolverines at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports | Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

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Detroit PistonsCharlotte Hornets

One of the Detroit Pistons’ Eastern Conference rivals will bring in a familiar face to join the coaching staff.

According to the NBA’s Coaches Association, DJ Bakker is set to join the Charlotte Hornets ahead of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

Bakker is expected to specialize in player development for the organization. Per James Edwards of The Athletic, Bakker is set to become the head coach of Charlotte’s G League organization, the Greensboro Swarm.

In 2018, Bakker joined the Pistons’ organization as a Player Development Coach. He worked under former Pistons head coach Dwane Casey.

In 2020, Bakker saw a promotion. He became an assistant and continued serving as a Player Development Specialist. From 2021 to 2022, Bakker was the head coach of Detroit’s G League squad, the Moto City Cruise.

Ahead of the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Pistons made a major coaching change. After allowing Casey to step down as the head coach so he could take on a front-office role, the Pistons hired Monty Williams after his run with the Phoenix Suns.

Bakker was among the assistants who left for another job. He would join the Milwaukee Bucks to coach under first-year head coach Adrian Griffin. After an odd coaching change midway through the season, the Bucks hired Doc Rivers to take over. Bakker remained on board.

The former Pistons assistant links with a former Bucks coach out in Charlotte. From 2018 to 2023, Charles Lee coached for the Bucks. Last year, he moved on and joined the Boston Celtics, who went on to win the 2024 NBA Finals. With a Finals victory on his resume as an assistant, Lee garnered attention from the Hornets. He became the head coach back in May.

Bakker is now set to run the operation for a rebuilding Hornets team’s G League roster.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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