The NBA currently has six open head coach positions, and the Boston Celtics are one of those teams with a vacancy.
The Celtics' position opened when Brad Stevens made a surprising move to the front office to replace Danny Ainge as the franchise's president of basketball operations. It ended Stevens' eight-year tenure as C's head coach, during which Boston made the playoffs seven times and reached the Eastern Conference Finals on three occasions.
ESPN writer Kevin Pelton recently ranked the open coaching jobs based on how attractive they are for potential candidates.
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The Celtics, according to Pelton, are the "clear choice as the most favorable landing spot for a coach among the current openings."
Here is part of his reasoning:
"Better yet, the Celtics have their long-term core in place in wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Putting the right pieces around them will be a challenge for Stevens, but Boston has already done the hard work of finding young All-Stars. And with Tatum just beginning a rookie extension while Brown enters the second season of his four-year deal, the Celtics don't face the same pressure to avoid them leaving as with older stars."
NBC Sports Boston ranks open NBA head coaching jobs
Boston Celtics
In addition to Tatum and Brown, the allure of returning one of the league's most iconic franchises back to glory could be enticing for potential candidates. Winning in Boston impacts a coach's legacy greater than winning in a place such as Washington or New Orleans would.
The Celtics also have a great ownership group that provides the resources needed to be a winning team on a consistent basis.
There are a bunch of candidates the Celtics could target. A couple names that have come up in rumors and speculation include Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups, 76ers assistant Sam Cassell, former Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce and Duke women's basketball head coach Kara Lawson.