New York, New York - Steve Nash is the first casualty of the Brooklyn Nets' terrible start to the NBA season as the team announced his departure on Tuesday .

The decision to part ways was reportedly mutual, though Brooklyn's 2-5 start to the season is believed to be the primary reason for Nash's exit.

"We want to thank Steve for everything he brought to our franchise over the past two-plus seasons," general manager Sean Marks said in a statement Tuesday.

"Since becoming head coach, Steve was faced with a number of unprecedented challenges, and we are sincerely grateful for his leadership, patience and humility throughout his tenure. Personally, this was an immensely difficult decision; however, after much deliberation and evaluation of how the season has begun, we agreed that a change is necessary at this time."

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In a separate statement, Nash thanked Marks and franchise owners Joe and Clara Tsai for the "amazing experience with many challenges that I'm incredibly grateful for."

Assistant coach Jacque Vaughn will serve as interim head coach for Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls at home.

Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who is currently serving a suspension for violating team policies, has reportedly emerged as a strong candidate to become the next Brooklyn head coach.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Udoka could possibly be hired within the next two days.

Although the 45-year-old is still currently under investigation, the Celtics would let Udoka leave the franchise for another job.

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If Udoka is set to take on the position with the Nets, he will return already having experience with the team as an assistant under Nash in 2020-2021.

The NBA champion winning coach also has a long history with general manager Marks, that dates back to 2013 with the San Antonio Spurs.

In his single season with the Celtics, Udoka delivered an impressive turnaround for the franchise that advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years.

His remarkable leadership with Boston carved his name to become only the fifth coach in the past 25 years to reach the NBA Finals in his first season as a head coach.