Ah yes, the revolving NBA Coaching Carousel is upon us. Like a revolving door at an office building, the changes in the head coach positions have come thick and fast this offseason and during last year’s regular season. The teams in the NBA have no time for mediocracy, and the pressure to win affects every team in the NBA. Some have given their coaches a little bit more leeway, while others have been forced to make changes to try to implement that win-now mentality. Let’s take a look at the changes so far.
The nature of the modern-day NBA is extremely competitive
The NBA is fiercely competitive. Every year, we are treated to a long list of teams that surprise and shock the league with their performances led by their head coaches. With most teams having a win immediately mentality, no job in the NBA is secure. For example, the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau despite the fact that he developed the roster into a title-contending team in his five year stint with the organization.
In a season that was dominated by the small-market teams, evident by the two Finalists in this year’s title run, the number of head coach changes was shocking to say the least. Like a carousel at an amusement park, the changes were going around the league at an unlikely pace. Some of the changes in the front office were expected, and some were absolutely unpredictable.
There is a long list of teams that brought in new head coaches
Following the absolutely dominant performance by the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, there were many coaches on their way out as the biggest teams in the NBA look for that coach who can bring that win-now mentality to their team. With the preparations for the 2025-26 season underway, here is a list of who has done what in the NBA so far:
- New York Knicks – The Knicks shocked the basketball world when they decided to fire Tom Thibodeau despite him leading the team to their first Conference Finals in 26 years. He was replaced, following a lengthy search that revealed Mike Brown as the new coach for the upcoming season.
- Sacramento Kings – The Kings made the tough choice to fire Mike Brown as head coach following a string of disappointing performances in December. He was replaced by Doug Christie.
- Phoenix Suns – The Suns brought in new head coach Jordan Ott, who replaced Mike Budenholzer. The Suns made history as well with their record-breaking trade of Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
- San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs were forced to make a change when Gregg Popovich had some health issues that forced him to step aside. They gave the interim job to Mitch Johnson, but Popovich will transition to a full-time role as president of basketball operations.
- Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets still have one of the best players in the world in Nikola Jokic. They brought in David Adelman to replace Michael Malone.
- Memphis Grizzlies – The Grizzlies made the decision to let go of Taylor Jenkins and brought in Tuomas Lisalo as the interim coach before handing him the job full-time.
How will the new head coaches fit into their new teams for next season
With the new season upon us, there have been more trades done in the past few weeks than you can shake a stick at. It seems that the new head coaches are not the only changes happening in the NBA at the moment. We expect the likes of the Knicks to perform well with their former coach of the year, Mike Brown. The Spurs are also looking to make a return to the top of the Western Conference, as they still hold a potential game-changing card in Victor Wembanyama. How will these new coaches implement their tactics and play style? We’ll have to wait and see.
