The Brooklyn Nets are making moves to finalize their coaching staff entering the NBA offseason. They are adding Connor Griffin and Deividas Dulkys as assistants on Jordi Fernandez's staff, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
Griffin, who played basketball at Gonzaga, worked as a video coordinator for Pepperdine before landing the same role with the Denver Nuggets for the last two seasons. Dulkis played overseas in Lithuania for nine years before joining the Memphis Grizzlies' G-League affiliate as an assistant coach in 2021. He received a role on the Sacramento Kings' staff alongside Fernandez as a player development coach in 2022.
Jordi Fernandez rounding out his Brooklyn Nets coaching staff
Griffin and Dulkis join Steve Hetzel and Juwan Howard as new hires on Brooklyn's bench. Hetzel has been an assistant for the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Portland Trail Blazers, while Howard was head coach at the University of Michigan for the last five seasons. The Nets will also retain Adam Caporn, Ryan Forehan-Kelly, and Corey Vinson, who will join Jay Fernandez as holdovers from last year's staff.
Caporn served as head coach of Brooklyn's G-League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, for the 2021-22 season. Brooklyn hired him as an assistant in 2022 before promoting him to director of player development ahead of the 2023-24 season. Forehan-Kelly has been with the Nets since 2017. Vinson joined Brooklyn last season after previously working closely with Mikal Bridges as an assistant with the Phoenix Suns.
Brooklyn will not retain Trevor Hendry from last year's staff. Hendry had been with the Nets since 2014, serving as a video coordinator and player development assistant before being promoted to a full-time assistant in 2022. He served as head coach of Brooklyn's Summer League team last year. He joins Kevin Ollie, Ronnie Burrell, and Will Weaver as assistants from last year's staff who will not be back.
The new hires give Brooklyn eight assistant coaches, the same number as last season. Members of the staff were photographed at last night's New York Liberty game by Doug Bearak (@dbearak on X).
From left to right: Ryan Forehan-Kelly, Corey Vinson, Juwan Howard, Deividas Dulkys, Jordi Fernandez, Steve Hetzel, and Travis Bader, who serves as Brooklyn's head video coordinator.
A difficult task lies ahead
The new staff will attempt to turn the Nets around following the team's worst season since 2017-18. Brooklyn finished with a 32-50 record this year, the ninth-worst in the league.
Many within league circles expect general manager Sean Marks to be active this offseason. Marks has seven tradable first-round picks after moving Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the 2023 trade deadline. That includes unprotected firsts from Phoenix in 2027, 2028, and 2029, which should be highly coveted.
Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell has been linked to the Nets for the last year. Mitchell has been non-committal on signing an extension with the Cavs entering the final year of his contract next season. Brooklyn reportedly has an offer ready for Mitchell if he refuses to commit to Cleveland long-term, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. Windhorst said the Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat would be the three teams at “the top of the list” of trade destinations for the star guard.
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