Sources: Nets prepared to hire Kings' Fernandez

Jordi Fernandez has emerged as the Brooklyn Nets‘ choice to become the franchise’s next coach, separating himself amid a wide, monthlong search that now has the Nets prepared to hire the Sacramento Kings‘ top assistant, sources told ESPN on Monday night.

Fernandez, 41, has been a fast-rising coaching candidate in the past two years and will land the Nets’ head-coaching job, sources said.

Fernandez will take over a Nets franchise that completed a 32-50 season under interim coach Kevin Ollie — its fifth coach since 2020.

Brooklyn is reshaping its team in the post-Kevin Durant–Kyrie Irving era and is hiring Fernandez to reinvigorate a roster that includes Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, Cameron Johnson and Noah Clowney.

Nets general manager Sean Marks met with dozens of candidates in recent weeks and Fernandez advanced to meet with owner Joe Tsai recently, sources said.

Fernandez will continue to coach the Kings for the rest of the season, sources said. Sacramento plays the Warriors in Tuesday’s Western Conference 9-10 play-in tournament game.

Fernandez was part of 2023 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown’s revival with the Kings and began building his head-coaching candidacy in stops with Denver for six seasons under Michael Malone and with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Fernandez’s medal-winning work as the Canadian national coach at the 2023 FIBA World Cup made league executives begin to examine him further as one of the league’s top young assistants.

Fernandez, a Barcelona, Spain native, interviewed for head-coaching jobs with Toronto, Phoenix and Milwaukee last year. Fernandez has previously coached in national team programs for Spain and Nigeria.