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Sources – New Orleans Pelicans sack coach Alvin Gentry

The New Orleans Pelicans fired coach Alvin Gentry, sources told ESPN on Saturday morning.

After a disappointing performance in the NBA’s Orlando reboot, the franchise moved quickly with Gentry’s removal. Gentry still had a year on his contract.

The Pelicans enter the coaching market with the Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls.

This will be an opportunity for Executive Vice President David Griffin to use the talented young Pelicans roster – including overall first-place winner Zion Williamson and All-Star Brandon Ingram – as cornerstones to being aggressive in the coaching market.

Among the coaches expected to be part of the Pelicans’ pursuit: Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, Clippers assistant Ty Lue and former Nets manager Kenny Atkinson, sources said. The Pelicans should also have an interest in Brooklyn interim manager Jacque Vaughn, if the Nets decide not to hold him back, sources said.

Griffin (GM) and Lue (head coach) were together with the Cleveland Cavaliers when the franchise won an NBA title in 2016. Griffin has a history with Kidd at the time alongside the Phoenix Suns.

Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon was the GM assistant with Brooklyn during Atkinson’s successful tenure.

New Orleans hired Gentry in 2015 from the Golden State coaching staff, fresh from an NBA championship.

In Gentry’s five seasons, the Pelicans have gone 175-225 albeit often plagued with injuries. Gentry was forced to use a total of 140 starting lineups over five seasons. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the top of any team in the past five seasons and 11 more than the closest team (Dallas).

In Gentry’s first season, he used 42 starting lineups, most of them in one season in the past five years according to Elias.

The 175 wins place Gentry second of all time in the history of the Hornets / Pelicans franchise, behind only Byron Scott. Gentry also leaves the only manager in franchise history to have a record of victories (5-4) in the playoffs.

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