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Hornets have agreed to hire Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as their next head coach, league source confirms

Atkinson is an assistant for the Golden State Warriors, who are in the NBA Finals.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to hire Kenny Atkinson as their next head coach, a league source confirmed to WCNC Charlotte.

It comes after the Hornets fired head coach James Borrego in late April. 

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Borrego was in the hot seat after the Hornets lost in the play-in tournament. For the second straight year, the Hornets finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and were demolished in their first postseason game, losing 132-103 to the Atlanta Hawks. 

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Back in August of last year, the Hornets signed Borrego to a multi-year contract extension hoping he could turn things around for the team. 

Atkinson coached the Brooklyn Nets for 3 1/2 seasons, reaching the 2019 playoffs. Atkinson is an assistant for the Golden State Warriors, who are in the NBA Finals.

The Hornets previously interviewed two-time NBA Coach of the Year and New Orleans Pelicans consultant Mike D’Antoni and assistant coaches Sean Sweeney of Dallas, David Vanterpool of Brooklyn and Charles Lee of Milwaukee.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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