The Brooklyn Nets and head coach Kenny Atkinson parted ways Saturday, creating an opening for potentially one of the NBA’s best teams next season. With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant expected to return from their respective injuries, Brooklyn has a chance to be among the top Eastern Conference contenders.

Who will be leading the Nets from the bench in the 2020-2021 season? There’s a good chance it’ll be a coach that already has a connection to one of Brooklyn’s superstars.

Tyronn Lue is considered to be the leading candidate, according to the latest betting odds at BetOnline. Lue, who currently serves as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, has been named the +125 favorite to be the next Nets head coach.

Lue became an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 when Irving was with the team. He replaced David Blatt as the team’s head coach midway through the 2015-2016 season, leading Cleveland to an NBA championship that year. Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2017, and Lue was fired six games into the 2018-2019 season.

Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill has reported that Lue is Irving’s preferred choice. Irving signed with the Nets in July and “soured on Atkinson early,” according to Goodwill.

Durant joined Brooklyn in the summer along with Irving. The two-time NBA Finals MVP reportedly has a relationship with Mark Jackson, who is also viewed as a candidate in Brooklyn.

Jackson is given +200 odds to be the Nets coach. He’s also been linked to the New York Knicks, who fired head coach David Fizdale earlier this season.

Jackson was the Golden State Warriors head coach from 2011-2014, leading the team to the playoffs in each of his last two seasons. He’s worked for ESPN and ABC as an in-game analyst since 2014.

Jeff Van Gundy, who works alongside Jackson as an analyst, has +500 odds to be hired by the Nets. Van Gundy was the Knicks head coach from 1996-2001. He coached the Houston Rockets from 2003-2007.

Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn has +600 odds to keep the job.

Brooklyn is headed to the playoffs for the second straight year. The Nets are 29-34 through 63 games, putting Brooklyn a half-game ahead of the No.8 seed Orlando Magic and 6.5 games ahead of the No.9 seed Washington Wizards.

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant
Kyrie Irving (L) and USA's guard Kevin Durant look on from the substitutes' bench during a Men's round Group A basketball match between China and USA at the Carioca Arena 1 during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 6, 2016. ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images
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