By NBA Insiders | ESPN, 2025-06-05 01:14:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
本赛季夏季的第五次教练更迭于周二下午以令人震惊的方式发生，纽约尼克斯队——在时隔四分之一个世纪后，刚刚打入东部决赛——与汤姆·锡伯杜 (Tom Thibodeau) 分道扬镳。
锡伯杜带领球队取得了自 1990 年代以来最成功的时期——连续三个赛季至少赢得一轮季后赛，并最终进入东部决赛，为他执教这支他从小支持的球队的五年画上句号——但这还不足以让他有机会结束纽约队 26 年的总决赛荒和 52 年的总冠军荒。
这项任务将落到篮球运营总裁里昂·罗斯 (Leon Rose) 选择的继任者身上。这个人将带着极高的期望走上这个岗位。
这是联盟本赛季休赛期一系列引人关注的运作中，最新的一笔。 菲尼克斯太阳队在迈克·布登霍尔泽 (Mike Budenholzer) 五年合同的第一年后解雇了他，最终任命克利夫兰骑士队的助理教练乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott) 为新教练。
丹佛掘金队在常规赛还剩不到一周时解雇了迈克尔·马龙 (Michael Malone) 以及总经理卡尔文·布斯 (Calvin Booth)。丹佛在五月份正式扶正了教练大卫·阿德尔曼 (David Adelman)。
在丹佛解雇马龙之前不到两周，孟菲斯灰熊队解雇了长期执教的教练泰勒·詹金斯 (Taylor Jenkins)。孟菲斯此后也扶正了教练图马斯·伊萨洛 (Tuomas Iisalo)。
萨克拉门托国王队成为本赛季第一支解雇主教练的球队，他们在 12 月下旬的一波连败中解雇了迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown)。
未来几周是否会有更多球队更换教练？ 上个赛季，有七支球队更换了教练，其中包括三支进入季后赛的球队——克利夫兰骑士队、洛杉矶湖人队和菲尼克斯太阳队。
以下是我们一年一度的NBA教练更迭情况分析，包括每个空缺职位的利弊以及可能的人选：
空缺的教练职位
纽约尼克斯
- 2024-25 赛季战绩： 51胜31负
- 前任教练： 汤姆·锡伯杜 (Tom Thibodeau)
- 主要管理人员： 里昂·罗斯 (Leon Rose)（2020 年上任）
优势：具备争冠实力的阵容，财政状况良好
这是教练们梦寐以求的工作机会。 纽约队拥有一套强大的阵容，其中包括贾伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson) 和卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 这两位全 NBA 级别的球员，OG·阿奴诺比 (OG Anunoby)、米卡尔·布里奇斯 (Mikal Bridges) 和 约什·哈特 (Josh Hart) 这三位多功能侧翼球员，以及米切尔·罗宾逊 (Mitchell Robinson) 和 迈尔斯·麦克布莱德 (Miles McBride) 这两位实力强劲的替补。纽约队也很有可能——通过今年夏天的一些创造性运作——获得纳税人中产特例，再加上纽约市的聚光灯效应，一套具备竞争力的阵容，以及充足的出场时间，足以吸引老将自由球员以底薪加盟，从而增强球队的阵容深度。
此外，新教练还可以轻松地在此基础上更进一步。 尽管这套首发阵容天赋异禀，但在季后赛的 335 分钟里输掉了 31 分，并且从 1 月 1 日到常规赛结束的 379 分钟里，净效率值为负。纽约队的每场比赛三分球出手次数排名第 27 位，节奏排名第 26 位——这些数据可能会随着场边不同的进攻理念而改变。
而且，尼克斯队一直以不惜重金组建教练组而闻名，因此这不应该成为尼克斯队在麦迪逊广场花园让某人取代锡伯杜的障碍。
劣势：期望值高，阵容限制
如果尼克斯队在球队取得近年来最好的成绩后解雇了一位教练，那么人们对他继任者的期望就会很高。 纽约队在宣布解雇锡伯杜的声明中毫不含糊地说：“我们球队的目标是为我们的球迷赢得总冠军。”
因此，接替锡伯杜的人无疑会清楚自己的任务。 而且，当他们接手这支球队时，他们将有能力提升阵容，正如我们上面所说的那样。 但是，他们还需要打造一套足够出色的防守体系，以便让布伦森和唐斯同时在场上也能实现他们的总冠军目标——这是锡伯杜在与印第安纳步行者队的六场东部决赛中未能做到的。 如果纽约队打入 NBA 总决赛，这项任务对于面对俄克拉荷马城雷霆队来说会更加困难。
而且，如果在前进的道路上出现任何失误，人们会立即质疑解雇锡伯杜是否是正确的决定。
– 蒂姆·邦坦普斯 (Tim Bontemps)
已签约的职位
菲尼克斯太阳
- 2024-25 赛季战绩： 36胜46负（西部第 11 位）
- 新教练： 乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott)（6 月 4 日上任）
- 前任教练： 迈克·布登霍尔泽 (Mike Budenholzer)
- 主要管理人员： 詹姆斯·琼斯 (James Jones)（2018 年上任）
优势：经验丰富的天赋球员
虽然老板马特·伊什比亚 (Mat Ishbia) 不到一年前宣称“29 支球队中有 26 支”不会与太阳队进行交易，但这完全是无稽之谈，但太阳队至少目前仍然拥有德文·布克 (Devin Booker) 和 凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 在他们的阵容中，这对于新任主教练来说是一个非常好的起点。
除了球星之外，菲尼克斯还拥有布拉德利·比尔 (Bradley Beal)、格雷森·艾伦 (Grayson Allen)、尼克·理查兹 (Nick Richards) 和罗伊斯·奥尼尔 (Royce O’Neale) 等经验丰富的实力派球员，以及瑞恩·邓恩 (Ryan Dunn) 和 奥索·伊格达罗 (Oso Ighodaro) 等几位新秀，他们可能成为一支不错的 NBA 轮换阵容的核心。
劣势：不稳定，缺乏阵容、资金和选秀灵活性
我们从哪里开始说起呢？
在解雇布登霍尔泽之后，菲尼克斯队正处于连续第四个赛季更换教练的境地，布登霍尔泽是去年春天以盛大的场面被聘用的。 伊什比亚拥有这支球队才两年多一点，就已经解雇了三位教练。
总的来说，太阳队在很多方面都陷入了困境。 该队已经交易了未来几个赛季的选秀权控制权，并且远远超过了 NBA 薪资帽中令人恐惧的“第二土豪线”，这使得球队的阵容非常昂贵，几乎没有办法改进。 杜兰特有可能在今年夏天被交易，此前菲尼克斯在交易截止日曾有过交易他的想法，但这位 36 岁的未来名人堂成员在他进入合同的最后一年后，还剩多少价值还有待观察。 杜兰特将寻求一份年薪超过 6000 万美元的续约合同。
谁得到了这份工作：乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott)
ESPN 的沙姆斯·查拉尼亚 (Shams Charania) 周一报道称，经过数周的面试后，太阳队寻找下一任主教练的范围缩小到了两位来自骑士队的候选人：助理教练约翰尼·布莱恩特 (Johnnie Bryant) 和助理教练乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott)。
消息人士周三告诉查拉尼亚，奥特自 2012 年以来一直担任 NBA 助理教练，并且一直秉承着强大的进攻和防守创造力、球员发展和强硬的原则。
消息人士告诉查拉尼亚，在 4 月 14 日解雇布登霍尔泽之后，新任总经理布莱恩·格雷戈里 (Brian Gregory) 领导了一个多轮的招聘过程，该过程最初有 15 多名候选人。 包括布莱恩特、奥特、迈阿密助理教练克里斯·奎因 (Chris Quinn)、俄克拉荷马城助理教练戴夫·布利斯 (Dave Bliss) 和太阳队助理教练大卫·菲兹代尔 (David Fizdale) 在内的五名决赛选手上周与球队官员进行了面对面的面试。
– 邦坦普斯
丹佛掘金
- 2024-25 赛季战绩： 50胜32负（西部第 4 位）
- 新教练： 大卫·阿德尔曼 (David Adelman)（5 月 22 日解除临时标签）
- 前任教练： 迈克尔·马龙 (Michael Malone)（4 月 8 日被解雇；阿德尔曼以临时身份接任）
- 主要管理人员： 无（总经理卡尔文·布斯 (Calvin Booth) 于 2020 年晋升，也被解雇）
优势：冠军级别的天赋
这样的工作机会很少出现。 尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 可能会在今年的最有价值球员奖项中输给 亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)，但他几乎被公认为是地球上最好的球员。 贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 是一位精英级别的挡拆搭档，并且在季后赛表现挣扎之后，已经恢复到了高水平——在夏天与加拿大国家队一起以及在本赛季初。 阿隆·戈登 (Aaron Gordon) 是一位多才多艺的防守者，他在攻防两端都与约基奇完美契合，克里斯蒂安·布劳恩 (Christian Braun) 已经开始崭露头角，并且表现出色，让他进入了最快进步球员的考虑范围。
尽管西部联盟有很多竞争者，但在周二马龙在执教掘金队 10 年并取得无与伦比的成功后被解雇的消息令人震惊之前，丹佛队仍然可以说是仅次于俄克拉荷马城队的热门球队。 任何接手这份工作的人都会相信他们可以立即赢得总冠军。
劣势：财务和阵容灵活性有限
丹佛队从未以慷慨解囊为教练和高管支付薪水而闻名，但这与试图让这支球队保持在冠军水平的长期限制相比，是一个次要的问题。 像大多数长期冠军争夺者一样，这支球队已经交易了很多选秀权，并且锁定了长期合同。 好的一面是，球队的核心球员都至少还有几年的合同。 坏的一面？ 球队几乎没有办法提高，并且可能不足以达到丹佛现在想要达到的目标。
谁得到了这份工作：大卫·阿德尔曼 (David Adelman)
自从迈克尔·马龙上个月被解雇后一直担任临时教练的大卫·阿德尔曼 (David Adelman)，名人堂教练里克·阿德尔曼 (Rick Adelman) 的儿子，于周四被提升为主教练。 现年 44 岁的阿德尔曼曾担任马龙的助理教练八个赛季，并带领掘金队在季后赛中与头号种子俄克拉荷马城雷霆队进行了抢七大战。 他将成为球队老板斯坦·克伦克 (Stan Kroenke) 充分利用超级巨星 尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 的巅峰时期的愿景的一部分。
– 邦坦普斯
圣安东尼奥马刺
- 2024-25 赛季战绩： 34胜48负（西部第 13 位）
- 新教练： 米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson)
- 前任教练： 格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich)（过渡到全职篮球运营总裁）
- 主要管理人员： RC·布福德 (RC Buford)（2019 年晋升为 CEO）
优势：令人兴奋的年轻核心，大量资产
圣安东尼奥是稳定和支持性组织的典范，拥有强大的所有权历史。 马刺队已经连续两年选中了年度最佳新秀，分别是具有潜在超级巨星潜力的维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和后卫 斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)。 他们在今年的选秀中有两个乐透签，分别是他们自己的和亚特兰大老鹰队的，加起来有大约 30% 的机会获得前四顺位。 他们拥有所有未来的选秀权，包括首轮和次轮，并且今年之后还有两个额外的首轮选秀权、九个额外的次轮选秀权，以及 2027 年与老鹰队、2030 年与独行侠队或森林狼队以及 2021 年与凯尔特人队的首轮选秀权互换权。 马刺队还交易得到了一名球队控球后卫，达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)，他有望在今年晚些时候签下一份长期续约合同。
劣势：市场规模，所有权支出能力，伟大的榜样
虽然圣安东尼奥是一个不断发展的城市，但它仍然是联盟中较小的市场之一，并且对引进球员有各种影响，尽管马刺队组织享有极好的声誉。 在过去的 13 年里，所有权方只支付了 500 万美元的奢侈税，并且随着 福克斯 (Fox) 和 文班亚马 (Wembanyama) 的巨额合同以及高薪随之而来的新挑战，支出是需要监控的事情。 也就是说，自从马刺队上次成为竞争者以来，他们已经吸引了新的资金雄厚的合作伙伴，包括亿万富翁计算机巨头迈克尔·戴尔 (Michael Dell) 和投资公司 Sixth Street。 此外，还有接替 波波维奇 (Popovich) 的挑战，他在过去的 29 年里赢得了五个总冠军，并建立了巨大的遗产。
谁得到了这份工作：米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson)
约翰逊在 波波维奇 (Popovich) 11 月份轻微中风后被任命为代理教练，现在永久接任主教练的职责。 在过去的几年里，波波维奇 (Popovich) 一直依靠 约翰逊，在准备和比赛方面都给了他越来越多的责任。 约翰逊也与 文班亚马 (Wembanyama) 建立了牢固的关系。 在 波波维奇 (Popovich) 缺席的情况下，约翰逊带领圣安东尼奥队取得了 31 胜 45 负的战绩。
– 布莱恩·温德霍斯特 (Brian Windhorst)
孟菲斯灰熊
- 2024-25 赛季战绩： 48胜34负（西部第 8 位）
- 新教练： 图马斯·伊萨洛 (Tuomas Iisalo)（5 月 2 日上任）
- 前任教练： 泰勒·詹金斯 (Taylor Jenkins)（3 月 28 日被解雇；伊萨洛以临时身份接任）
- 主要管理人员： 扎克·克莱曼 (Zach Kleiman)（2019 年上任）
优势：充满希望的年轻核心
尽管整个赛季都饱受伤病困扰，但灰熊队仍然排在西部联盟前五名，并且拥有联盟第五好的净效率值——仅次于俄克拉荷马城雷霆队、克利夫兰骑士队、波士顿凯尔特人队和休斯顿火箭队。
凭借 贾·莫兰特 (Ja Morant)、 德斯蒙德·贝恩 (Desmond Bane) 和 小贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson Jr.)，孟菲斯的核心阵容正在进入他们的巅峰时期，这应该让灰熊队在本十年余下的时间里都有争夺冠军的资本。 克莱曼 (Kleiman) 已经证明他可以找到有才华的第二轮和落选球员，这让孟菲斯在这三位球星身后拥有一支深度和多功能性兼备的阵容。
一位 NBA 高管表示，如果一切顺利，这支球队让人想起上赛季的克利夫兰骑士队，在肯尼·阿特金森 (Kenny Atkinson) 到来之前，球队在本赛季有所进步。 克莱曼 (Kleiman) 和灰熊队相信这种提升是有可能实现的。
劣势：小市场，近期不稳定
孟菲斯远非 NBA 的魅力市场，而且这支球队在过去一年中有很多摩擦和不确定性。
灰熊队去年夏天几乎解雇了 詹金斯 (Jenkins) 的整个教练组，引进了 伊萨洛 (Iisalo) 和 诺亚·拉罗什 (Noah LaRoche) 等人来填补空缺。 然后，不仅 詹金斯 (Jenkins) 在周五被解雇，而且 拉罗什 (LaRoche) 也被解雇了，他聘请了几位球员发展教练。
现在，让我们谈谈阵容。 除了无数的伤病之外，灰熊队多年来还与 莫兰特 (Morant) 发生了一系列场外问题。 多亏了他们的另外两位球星 杰克逊 (Jackson) 和 贝恩 (Bane)，他们令人印象深刻的阵容深度，以及 詹金斯 (Jenkins) 在场边的出色工作（直到他被解雇），球队才得以缓解 莫兰特 (Morant) 的缺席。
谁得到了这份工作：图马斯·伊萨洛 (Tuomas Iisalo)
联盟的预期是，在球队在 3 月下旬与 詹金斯 (Jenkins) 分手后，伊萨洛 (Iisalo) 将获得这份工作的长期考察机会。 灰熊队去年休赛期将他从欧洲带过来，并让他加入了 詹金斯 (Jenkins) 的教练组，他在球队的最后一场比赛和第一轮比赛中表现出了足够的实力。 伊萨洛 (Iisalo) 现在是 NBA 历史上第一位芬兰出生的主教练。
– 邦坦普斯
萨克拉门托国王
- 2024-25 赛季战绩： 40胜42负（西部第 9 位）
- 新教练： 道格·克里斯蒂 (Doug Christie)
- 前任教练： 迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown)（12 月份被解雇；助理教练 道格·克里斯蒂 (Doug Christie) 以临时身份接任）
- 主要管理人员： 总经理斯科特·佩里 (Scott Perry)（在 蒙特·麦克奈尔 (Monte McNair) 与球队分道扬镳后于 4 月 17 日上任）
优势：经验丰富，具备争胜实力的天赋球员
很难预测萨克拉门托队凭借其阵容赢得总冠军。 但是，一位接手拥有 多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯 (Domantas Sabonis)、 德玛尔·德罗赞 (DeMar DeRozan)、 扎克·拉文 (Zach LaVine)、 基根·穆雷 (Keegan Murray) 和 马利克·蒙克 (Malik Monk) 的球队的教练，有机会在每场比赛中都具有竞争力。 鉴于公开职位上的典型天赋水平，这提升了国王队空缺职位的吸引力。
所有这些球员都至少在未来几个赛季内受球队控制，他们有机会一起比赛，这增加了对新教练的吸引力。
劣势：小市场，数十年的不稳定
以下是您需要了解的关于国王队的一切：自从 1984 年搬到萨克拉门托以来，只有两位教练在至少一个完整的赛季中取得了胜利：里克·阿德尔曼 (Rick Adelman)，他在 1999 年至 2006 年连续八个赛季做到了这一点，以及 迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 在过去的两个赛季。 在 阿德尔曼 (Adelman) 没有执教的 33 个赛季中，萨克拉门托队只进入过三次季后赛，这突显了这项工作的难度。
长期 NBA 高管 斯科特·佩里 (Scott Perry) 现在取代了在球队在附加赛中被淘汰后与国王队分道扬镳的 麦克奈尔 (McNair)。 该队还看到了助理总经理韦斯·威尔科克斯 (Wes Wilcox) 的离职，他于本月早些时候接任了犹他大学的总经理职位。 另一个缺点是俱乐部不愿支付奢侈税，这是老板维韦克·拉纳戴夫 (Vivek Ranadive) 一直避免的事情。
谁得到了这份工作：道格·克里斯蒂 (Doug Christie)
消息人士周二告诉 ESPN 的 沙姆斯·查拉尼亚 (Shams Charania)，克里斯蒂 (Christie) 正在敲定一份多年合同，成为球队的下一任教练。 克里斯蒂 (Christie) 与该组织有着长期的联系，可以追溯到在 阿德尔曼 (Adelman) 执教下的 2000 年代初期的那些标志性球队，自从接替 布朗 (Brown) 以来，他在过去的几个月里做得非常出色。 在 克里斯蒂 (Christie) 的带领下，萨克拉门托队本赛季取得了 27 胜 24 负的战绩，在此期间进攻效率排名第九，并且在关键时刻的比赛中取得了 13 胜 10 负的战绩，而根据 ESPN 研究，在 布朗 (Brown) 的带领下，本赛季早些时候的战绩为 6 胜 13 负。
– 邦坦普斯
点击查看原文：NBA coaching carousel - Pros, cons, what's next for every open job
NBA coaching carousel - Pros, cons, what’s next for every open job
The fifth coaching change of this summer’s job cycle happened in stunning fashion Tuesday afternoon, as the New York Knicks – fresh off making the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter century – parted ways with Tom Thibodeau.
Thibodeau leading the franchise to what has easily been its best stretch of success since the 1990s – winning at least one playoff series in three straight seasons and advancing to the conference finals to culminate his five-year run with the team he grew up rooting for – was not enough for him to get a chance to end New York’s 26-year Finals drought and 52-year championship drought next season.
That task will instead fall upon whomever president of basketball operations Leon Rose chooses to replace him. That person will walk into the job with sky-high expectations.
It was the latest move in what’s been a relatively busy summer for off-the-court moves across the league. The Phoenix Suns fired Mike Budenholzer after the first year of a five-year contract, eventually tabbing Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their new coach.
The Denver Nuggets moved on from Michael Malone, along with general manager Calvin Booth, with less than a week to go in the regular season. Denver removed the interim tag on coach David Adelman in May.
Denver’s decision to fire Malone came less than two weeks after the Memphis Grizzlies fired longtime coach Taylor Jenkins. Memphis has since removed the interim tag on coach Tuomas Iisalo.
The Sacramento Kings became the first franchise to fire its coach this season when they dismissed Mike Brown amid a losing streak in late December.
Will more jobs open over the next several weeks? Last season, seven teams changed coaches, including three – the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns – that did so after making the playoffs.
Here’s our annual look at the NBA’s coaching carousel, with the pros and cons of each vacancy and who could fill them:
Open coaching jobs
New York Knicks
- 2024-25 record: 51-31
- Previous coach: Tom Thibodeau
- Lead executive: Leon Rose (hired in 2020)
Positive: Ready-to-win roster, finances
This is the kind of job opening that coaches dream of. New York has a roster featuring a couple of All-NBA players in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, a trio of versatile wings in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, and a pair of strong reserves in Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride. New York will also likely – with some creative maneuverings this summer – have the taxpayer’s midlevel exception available, as well as the bright lights of New York City, a contending roster and open playing time to entice veteran free agents to sign on minimum deals to bolster the franchise’s depth beyond that.
There also is low-hanging fruit for a new coach to latch on to. That starting five, despite the talent across it, got outscored by 31 points in 335 minutes in the playoffs and had a negative net rating in 379 minutes from Jan. 1 through the end of the regular season. New York also was 27th in 3-point attempts per game and 26th in pace – numbers that could potentially change with a different offensive philosophy on the sidelines.
And the Knicks have long been known as a franchise that will spare no expense in building out a staff, so that shouldn’t be an obstacle to getting whomever the Knicks want to patrol the sidelines at Madison Square Garden in Thibodeau’s place.
Negatives: Expectations, roster limitations
If the Knicks fired a coach after one of the best stretches of success for the franchise in recent history, the expectations are high for his successor. And New York didn’t mince words in its statement announcing the decision to fire Thibodeau: “Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans.”
So, the person replacing Thibodeau will have no doubts about their expected mandate. And, when they do inherit this team, there will be some ability to improve the roster, as we laid out above. But, they will also need to construct a defense good enough to reach those championship aspirations with both Brunson and Towns on the court – something Thibodeau was unable to do across six games against the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals. It’s also a task that would’ve been even more difficult against the Oklahoma City Thunder had New York reached the NBA Finals.
And, if there are any stumbles along the way, there will be immediate questions about whether moving on from Thibodeau was the right move.
– Tim Bontemps
Hired jobs
Phoenix Suns
- 2024-25 record: 36-46 (No. 11 in West)
- New coach: Jordan Ott (hired on June 4)
- Previous coach: Mike Budenholzer
- Lead executive: James Jones (hired in 2018)
Positive: Veteran talent
While owner Mat Ishbia’s proclamation less than a year ago that “26 out of 29” teams wouldn’t trade places with the Suns was way off base, the Suns still do – at least for now – have both Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on their roster, which is a pretty good place to start for a new head coach.
Beyond its stars, Phoenix has solid veteran depth in Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Nick Richards and Royce O’Neale, plus a couple of rookie finds in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro that could form the core of a decent NBA rotation.
Negatives: Instability, plus lack of roster, monetary and draft flexibility
Where do we start?
Phoenix is on its fourth coach in as many seasons after firing Budenholzer, who was hired with great fanfare last spring. Ishbia has owned the team for a little over two years and has already fired three coaches.
Overall, the Suns are stuck in a multitude of ways. The team has traded control of its draft picks for the next several seasons and is well over the dreaded “second apron” of the NBA’s salary cap, creating a wildly expensive roster with few tools to improve it. There’s a chance Durant is traded this summer, after Phoenix flirted with the idea at the trade deadline, but it remains to be seen how much value the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer will have as he enters the final year of his contract. Durant will be looking for an extension at more than $60 million per season.
Who got the job: Jordan Ott
After weeks of interviews, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday that the Suns’ search for their next head coach came down to two candidates, both from the Cavaliers: associate coach Johnnie Bryant and assistant Jordan Ott.
Ott had been an NBA assistant coach since 2012 and has been rooted in principles of strong offensive and defensive creativity, player development and toughness, sources told Charania on Wednesday.
After firing Budenholzer on April 14, new GM Brian Gregory has led a multiround hiring process that began with more than 15 candidates, sources told Charania. A group of five finalists – including Bryant, Ott, Miami assistant Chris Quinn, Oklahoma City assistant Dave Bliss and Suns assistant David Fizdale – had in-person interviews with team officials last week.
– Bontemps
Denver Nuggets
- 2024-25 record: 50-32 (No. 4 in West)
- New coach: David Adelman (interim tag removed on May 22
- Previous coach: Michael Malone (fired April 8; Adelman took over on interim basis)
- Lead executive: None (GM Calvin Booth, promoted in 2020, was also let go)
Positive: Championship-level talent
These kinds of jobs rarely come available. Nikola Jokic might lose out to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for this season’s Most Valuable Player award, but he’s nearly universally seen as the best player on the planet. Jamal Murray is an elite pick-and-roll partner and, after struggling in the playoffs, is back to playing at a high level – over the summer with Team Canada and at the start of this season. Aaron Gordon is a versatile defender who fits perfectly next to Jokic at both ends, and Christian Braun has come on and had a terrific season, putting him into Most Improved Player consideration.
While the Western Conference is deep with contenders, Denver still arguably was set to enter the playoffs as a favorite behind Oklahoma City before Tuesday’s shocking news of Malone’s dismissal after 10 years and unparalleled success with the Nuggets. Whoever walks into this job will believe they can win a championship immediately.
Negatives: Limited financial and roster flexibility
Denver has never been known to open the checkbook to pay for coaches and executives, but that’s a secondary concern to the long-term constraints on trying to keep this team at a championship level. Like most longtime championship contenders, this is a franchise that has traded away a lot of draft picks and is locked in on long-term contracts. The good part about that is the team’s core players are all under contract for at least a couple more years. The bad? The roster has few means to improve and might not be good enough to get where Denver wants to go now.
Who got the job: David Adelman
After serving as the interim coach since Michael Malone was let go last month, David Adelman, son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman, was promoted to head coach Thursday. The 44-year-old Adelman was Malone’s assistant for eight seasons and led the Nuggets to a Game 7 against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the postseason. He will be part of team owner Stan Kroenke’s vision of capitalizing on the prime years of superstar Nikola Jokic.
– Bontemps
San Antonio Spurs
- 2024-25 record: 34-48 (No. 13 in West)
- New coach: Mitch Johnson
- Previous coach: Gregg Popovich (transitioning to full-time role as president of basketball operations)
- Lead executive: RC Buford (promoted to CEO in 2019)
Positives: Thrilling young core, loads of assets
San Antonio is the definition of a stable and supportive organization with a history of strong ownership. The Spurs have drafted the Rookie of the Year in back-to-back years with potential superstar Victor Wembanyama and guard Stephon Castle. They have two lottery picks in this year’s draft, both theirs and the Atlanta Hawks, combined giving them about a 30% chance of getting a top-four pick. They own all their future draft picks, both first and second round, going forward and beyond this year have two additional first-rounders, nine additional second rounders, and first-round pick swaps with the Hawks in 2027, the Mavericks or Wolves in 2030 and the Celtics in 2021. The Spurs also traded for a franchise point guard, De’Aaron Fox, who is in position to sign a long-term contract extension later this year.
Negatives: Market size, ownership spending power, big shoes
Though San Antonio is a growing city, it still is one of the league’s smaller markets and has various effects on acquiring players, though the Spurs’ organization enjoys an excellent reputation. The ownership has paid just $5 million in luxury tax in the past 13 years and with big contracts coming for Fox and Wembanyama plus the new challenges that come with high payrolls, spending is something to monitor. That said, since the Spurs were last contenders they have taken on new deep-pocketed partners, including billionaire computer magnate Michael Dell and investment firm Sixth Street. There is also the challenge of coming behind Popovich, someone who won five championships and established a massive legacy over the previous 29 years.
Who got the job: Mitch Johnson
Johnson, who was named acting coach after Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November, now takes over head coaching duties on a permanent basis. Popovich had leaned on Johnson over the past several years, giving him increasing responsibility both in terms of preparation and in-game. Johnson has developed a strong relationship with Wembanyama already as well. Johnson led San Antonio to a 31-45 record in Popovich’s absence.
– Brian Windhorst
Memphis Grizzlies
- 2024-25 record: 48-34 (No. 8 in West)
- New coach: Tuomas Iisalo (hired on May 2)
- Previous coach: Taylor Jenkins (fired March 28; Iisalo took over on interim basis)
- Lead executive: Zach Kleiman (hired in 2019)
Positive: A promising young core
Despite suffering injuries throughout the season, the Grizzlies are still in the top five in the Western Conference standings, and with the league’s fifth-best net rating – trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets.
With Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis’ core is entering its prime, which should give the Grizzlies runway to contend for the rest of this decade. Kleiman has shown that he can find talented second-round and undrafted players, giving Memphis a deep and versatile roster behind that star talent.
One NBA executive said this is a team that, if things break right, is reminiscent of the Cleveland Cavaliers last season before Kenny Atkinson came in and the franchise improved this season. That’s the kind of boost Kleiman and the Grizzlies believe is possible.
Negatives: Small market, recent instability
Memphis is far from an NBA glamour market, and this team has had a lot of friction and uncertainty over the past year.
The Grizzlies fired virtually Jenkins’ entire coaching staff last summer, bringing in – among others – Iisalo and Noah LaRoche to fill it out. Then, not only was Jenkins dismissed Friday, but so was LaRoche, who hired several player development coaches.
Now, on to the roster. In addition to numerous injuries, the Grizzlies have had a series of off-court issues with Morant over the years. The team had mitigated Morant’s absence thanks to its other two stars, Jackson and Bane, its impressive depth and, until he was fired, Jenkins’ work on the sidelines.
Who got the job: Tuomas Iisalo
The expectation around the league was that Iisalo would get a long look for the job after the franchise moved on from Jenkins in late March. The Grizzlies brought him from Europe last offseason and put him on Jenkins’ staff, and he showed enough through the team’s final stretch of games and run to the first round. Iisalo is now the first Finnish-born head coach in NBA history.
– Bontemps
Sacramento Kings
- 2024-25 record: 40-42 (No. 9 in West)
- New coach: Doug Christie
- Previous coach: Mike Brown (fired in December; assistant Doug Christie takes over on interim basis)
- Lead executive: GM Scott Perry (hired on April 17 after Monte McNair parted ways with the team)
Positive: Veteran, ready-to-win talent
It’s hard to project Sacramento winning a title with its roster. But a coach taking over a team with Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk has a chance to be competitive in each game. That gives the Kings’ vacancy a boost, given the typical level of talent at open jobs.
With all of those players under team control for at least a couple of more seasons, there is some runway for them to play together, adding to the appeal for a new coach.
Negatives: Small market, decades of instability
Here’s all you need to know about the Kings: Since moving to Sacramento in 1984, two coaches have had at least one full season with a winning record: Rick Adelman, who did it for eight straight seasons from 1999 to 2006, and Mike Brown the past two seasons. Sacramento has made the playoffs in three of the 33 seasons not coached by Adelman, underscoring the difficulty of this job.
Longtime NBA executive Scott Perry Perry now replaces McNair, who parted ways with the Kings following their elimination in the play-in tournament. The team had also seen the departure of assistant general manager Wes Wilcox, who took the GM job for the Utah Utes earlier this month. Another drawback is the club’s unwillingness to pay into the luxury tax, something owner Vivek Ranadive has avoided.
Who got the job: Doug Christie
Christie is finalizing a multiyear contract to become the franchise’s next coach, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday. Christie has long-standing ties to the organization, going back to being a starter on those iconic teams of the early 2000s under Adelman, and he had done a solid job the past few months since taking over for Brown. Sacramento went 27-24 this season under Christie, ranking ninth in offensive efficiency during that span and going 13-10 in clutch-time games compared to 6-13 earlier in the campaign under Brown, according to ESPN Research.
– Bontemps
By NBA Insiders | ESPN, via ESPN