With the 2025-26 regular season winding down, a number of NBA franchises are already facing questions about who will be guiding them from the sideline when training camps open in the fall. Half of the league’s 30 head coaches have been hired since January 2024, underscoring how quickly the position can turn over.
Interim situations in New Orleans and Portland
James Borrego and Tiago Splitter are running teams on an interim basis. Borrego stepped in after the Pelicans dismissed Willie Green earlier this season and has overseen the club’s most productive stretch of the year. Splitter took control in Portland when Chauncey Billups was arrested in October during an illegal-gambling investigation. Whether either interim tag is removed before 2026-27 remains unsettled, but league insiders doubt Billups will return to the Trail Blazers regardless of his legal outcome.
Uncertainty in Chicago
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is at the center of fresh speculation. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Donovan might step away after an emotional season marked by the recent deaths of his father and mother-in-law. ESPN added that North Carolina would place Donovan near the top of its list following Hubert Davis’s departure, and ClutchPoints indicated the 59-year-old would seriously weigh an offer from the Tar Heels.
Pressure building in Orlando
Orlando has dropped six straight, and observers have begun to question Jamahl Mosley’s job security. Despite injuries, the Magic are 38-34 after surrendering four future first-round picks last summer for Desmond Bane, a return widely viewed as below preseason expectations.
Established names facing crossroads
Doc Rivers could record his first losing season since 2006-07, prompting talk of a mutual parting with Milwaukee after just one year. In Golden State, Steve Kerr is coaching without a contract for 2026-27; the Warriors are fighting merely to reach the postseason and would be heavy underdogs in a potential first-round matchup with Oklahoma City or San Antonio.
Other benches worth monitoring
Among clubs ticketed for the lottery, Doug Christie (Kings) and Brian Keefe (Wizards) may not have long-term guarantees. Philadelphia’s Nick Nurse is expected to return only if the 76ers advance beyond the play-in tournament.
Even playoff teams can make abrupt changes, as New York did with Tom Thibodeau last year. First-round eliminations could place added scrutiny on Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers), Chris Finch (Timberwolves), Ime Udoka (Rockets) and Mike Brown (Knicks).
The coming weeks will determine how extensive this spring’s coaching carousel becomes, but league history suggests at least a handful of jobs will open once the postseason dust settles.
Source: Hoops Rumors
