Pistons Receive Permission to Interview Bucks Assistant Charles Lee

The Pistons have been granted permission to interview Bucks assistant Charles Lee for their head-coaching vacancy, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Lee, head coach Mike Budenholzer and the Bucks are entering the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference — and Lee has been considered a candidate for openings across the league for the past several seasons.

The Pistons are looking to replace Dwane Casey, who moved into the front office after five seasons.

Along with Lee, the Pistons are expected to interview former Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie, now the coaching director of Overtime Elite, as we relayed here.

Others linked to the Pistons’ opening: Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse, Raptors coach Nick Nurse, former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, Heat assistant Chris Quinn and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin. More names will undoubtedly surface.

Lee, 38, has been an assistant under Budenholzer since 2014, first with the Hawks and then with the Bucks, starting in 2018. Milwaukee won the championship in 2019.

Lee stepped into the lead assistant role this season, filling the post vacated by Darvin Ham, who left to become head coach of the Lakers before the season.

ESPN story on Pistons getting permission to talk to one of franchise's top head coaching targets: Bucks assistant Charles Lee: https://t.co/J60t5NsO20

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 14, 2023