Thunder promote Mark Daigneault to head coach

The Oklahoma City Thunder are promoting 35-year-old assistant Mark Daigneault and making him their new head coach, the team announced.

Daigneault is now the NBA's second-youngest head coach, behind only Ryan Saunders of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"The amount of head coaching experience and diverse experiences through his tenure with the (G-League) Blue is rare for someone his age," general manager Sam Presti said. "He has also shown the ability to empower both the players and staff he works with, and we are confident that he will help us continue to modernize our approach as an organization in a constantly evolving industry."

Daigneault has been with the Thunder organization since 2014, logging a five-year run coaching its G-League team. He previously worked under former Thunder head coach Billy Donovan at the University of Florida.

With veteran Chris Paul - the subject of trade rumors - still as the anchor, the Thunder boast a young core alongside him, with the possibility of 15 first-round picks owed to them through 2026.