One of the Detroit Pistons’ Eastern Conference rivals will bring a familiar face to the coaching staff.

According to the NBA Coaches Association, DJ Bakker will join the Charlotte Hornets prior to the 2024-2025 NBA season.

Bakker will specialize in player development for the organization. According to James Edwards of The athleteBakker is set to become head coach of Charlotte’s G-League organization, the Greensboro Swarm.

In 2018, Bakker joined the Pistons organization as a player development coach, working under former Pistons head coach Dwane Casey.

In 2020, Bakker was promoted to assistant and continued to work as a player development specialist. From 2021 to 2022, Bakker served as the head coach of Detroit’s G-League team, the Moto City Cruise.

Ahead of the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Pistons made a major coaching change. After allowing Casey to step down as head coach so he could take a front office position, the Pistons hired Monty Williams after his time with the Phoenix Suns.

Bakker was one of the assistants who left the team to take another job. He moved to the Milwaukee Bucks to coach under new head coach Adrian Griffin. After a strange coaching change mid-season, the Bucks hired Doc Rivers as their new coach. Bakker stayed on board.

The former Pistons assistant is in touch with a former Bucks coach in Charlotte. Charles Lee was the Bucks coach from 2018 to 2023. Last year he moved to the Boston Celtics, who won the NBA Finals in 2024. With a Finals win on his resume as an assistant, Lee caught the attention of the Hornets. He became head coach in May.

Bakker will now take over the management of the Hornets’ G-League squad, which is in the process of rebuilding.