Nets assistant could be headed to Sacramento Kings

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Welch (right) with Jason Kidd in 2014. (AP)
Welch (right) with Jason Kidd in 2014. (AP)
John Welch (right) with Jason Kidd in 2014. (AP)

UPDATE: Mike Mazzeo of ESPN reports Welch is gone:

Brooklyn Nets assistant coach John Welch could be headed back west this offseason.

Welch, who joined the team’s staff under Jason Kidd in 2013, reportedly has an offer from the Sacramento Kings as an assistant under George Karl, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Welch worked under Karl with the Denver Nuggets from 2005 to 2013, and the two left the team at the same time.

NetsDaily reports that Welch “has not made a decision” about his future.

Welch has a reputation as a gym rat and a player development coach. “Honestly, being in the gym in the NBA is no different from being in the gym at Chaparral High School,” Welch told the Las Vegas Review Journal in 2009. “To me it’s equally rewarding, whether it’s a high school kid getting better or Melo (Carmelo Anthony).” Welch was also the subject of a profile in the New York Times for taking on Joe Johnson one-on-one before many Nets games.

Sactown Royalty — Nets Assistant John Welch likely to join George Karl’s coaching staff