NBA coaches on the hot seat: Who could be in trouble after Nuggets fire Michael Malone?
NBA coaches on the hot seat: Who could be in trouble after Nuggets fire Michael Malone?
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The Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins with just more than two weeks left in the regular season. The Denver Nuggets dismissed head coach Michael Malone with just three games remaining.
Consider this: The coaches who won NBA championships in 2019 (Nick Nurse, then with the Toronto Raptors), 2020 (Frank Vogel, then with the Los Angeles Lakers), 2021 (Mike Budenholzer, then with the Milwaukee Bucks) and 2023 (Malone) are no longer with that team.
It seems unlikely another coach will be fired before the regular season ends, but who knows.
Regardless, there is the possibility other coaches won't return to the same team next season. Don't forget, the Sacramento Kings have an interim coach and will be looking for a permanent hire.
Let's look at other coaches who are on the hot seat:
NBA coaches on the hot seat
Willie Green, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have been derailed by injuries. That's not Green's fault. He made the Pelicans a better team, going 36-46 in 2021-22, 42-40 in 2022-23 and 49-33 last season. But this season, they are 21-57 with the fourth-worst record in the league. Green's future also depends on the future of the front office, led by David Griffin. If Griffin doesn't return, a new head of basketball operations likely would select a new head coach.
Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves
Finch is a solid coach who led the Timberwolves to 56 victories and the Western Conference finals last season. However, they won't reach last season's win total and they are in a tight race to stay out of the play-in tournament. Playoff success could determine Finch's future with the team. Also, he was not president of basketball operations Tim Connelly's hire, and the Timberwolves are about to change owners with a group led by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore buying the team from Glen Taylor.
Mike Budenholzer, Phoenix Suns
Would the Phoenix Suns really fire three coaches in as many seasons? With the way owner Mat Ishbia has handled Phoenix's lack of deep playoff runs, anything is in play. Budenholzer was brought in to improve the team after former coach Frank Vogel's squad got swept in the first round of last year's playoffs. But with four games remaining in the season, Budenholzer's Suns have failed to make the Kevin Durant-Devin Booker-Bradley Beal experiment work, are 14 victories behind last season's record and — sitting 2½ games out of the play-in picture — are dangerously close to crashing out in spectacular fashion.
Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers
After acquiring Paul George in the offseason, the Sixers came in with massive expectations that were quickly derailed because of injuries. Joel Embiid played just 19 games, George — whose play declined significantly when he was on the court, anyway — appeared in 41 games and Tyrese Maxey played 52 games. The three played together just 15 times, though Philadelphia went just 7-8 in those contests. George and Embiid are very early in onerous contracts that could complicate next season, and beyond.
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