Community Shootaround: Which Coaching Job Is Most Appealing?
As our head coaching search tracker shows, a total of six teams have initiated head coaching searches so far this offseason. Milwaukee hired Taylor Jenkins, New Orleans hired Jamahl Mosley, and the searches in Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, and Portland are ongoing.
Jenkins had widely been considered one of the top candidates among coaching free agents and the Bucks moved quickly to get him locked up to a lucrative, long-term deal, but the appeal of that job is somewhat debatable, given the uncertainty surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future in Milwaukee.
While an Antetokounmpo trade should return a handful of valuable assets, including draft picks and/or young players, the Bucks are missing several of their own future picks, don’t have a ton of young talent around Antetokounmpo, and will be hamstrung to some extent by the sizable cap hits created as a result of waiving and stretching Damian Lillard‘s contract a year ago.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, are coming off 21- and 26-win seasons, but they have a promising young core featuring Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, and Yves Missi. The team doesn’t have a first-round pick this year and whether or not Zion Williamson is still a long-term cornerstone in New Orleans remains to be seen. But Williamson doesn’t appear to be going anywhere for the time being, so Mosley will be tasked with figuring out how to best utilize him and Queen together.
The Bulls appear headed for a rebuild after trading away several veterans at the deadline, with a few others on track for free agency this offseason. The new head coach in Chicago likely won’t be under any pressure to contend right away, but he’ll be responsible for developing youngsters like Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue, and this year’s No. 4 overall pick.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, will give their new head coach the opportunity to shape Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg into a superstar, though the roster around him is still somewhat up in the air. It’s unclear whether the new-look front office led by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz will want to keep this group mostly intact or if they envision major changes. Kyrie Irving‘s future is the biggest question mark as he returns from a torn ACL.
More than any other team in this group, the Magic will have lofty short-term expectations for their head coach after Mosley failed to get the team beyond the first round during his five-year tenure. Orlando projects to have one of the NBA’s most expensive rosters next season and will be in win-now mode with a talented group led by Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs.
New Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon has made waves this spring as a result of the cost-cutting measures he has instituted within the organization, and there have been rumors that he won’t be willing to pay a substantial salary for a head coach. While there has been some push-back on those reports, Portland’s list of candidates includes a few little-known assistants we haven’t seen linked to any other jobs. If one of those candidates is hired, it’s safe to assume he wouldn’t be in position to command a lucrative deal.
Putting aside the issue of pay, the Blazers’ job should hold some appeal. The team appears to be on the rise, with Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara among the young players who helped lead Portland to a playoff berth this spring, and Damian Lillard set to return from his torn Achilles in the fall.
We want to know what you think. Which of these six head coaching jobs – including the two that have already been filled – look like the most and least appealing?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Coaching Rumors: Kidd, Bryant, Klei, Bailey, Cook
Could Jason Kidd resurface with the Trail Blazers? It’s not out of the question, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
It’s natural that Kidd, who parted ways with the Mavericks this week, would be a potential candidate for any head coach opening.
Kidd has quietly been connected to Portland within league circles, according to Scotto, though it’s uncertain whether the Blazers will make a serious run at him or if he’ll want to pursue the job.
New majority owner Tom Dundon‘s cost-cutting measures make it unlikely that the Blazers would meet Kidd’s market value. Kidd is still owed $40MM+ from the Mavericks, who are eating the final four years of his contract. Kidd has also expressed interest in making personnel decisions and Portland’s GM Joe Cronin signed a multi-year extension last year. The Blazers are already in the process of conducting coaching interviews with at least a handful of candidates coming in for in-person interviews.
However, Scotto also notes that Damian Lillard, who will be back in action next season after recovering from an Achilles tear, has previously expressed interest in having Kidd as his head coach. Back in 2021, the last time Portland had a coaching search, Lillard told Yahoo Sports, “Jason Kidd is the guy I want.”
Portland ultimately chose Chauncey Billups, who was arrested and placed on leave amid a federal probe into illegal gambling at the start of this past season.
Here’s more coaching intel from Scotto:
- Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant is a potential candidate for the Bulls’ head coaching vacancy, Scotto reports. Bryant was a finalist for the Suns’ head coaching job last summer before Jordan Ott was chosen.
- The Hawks could be making an in-house hire. The coach of the G League’s College Park Skyhawks, Steven Klei, is a candidate to be promoted to Quin Snyder‘s NBA staff, per Scotto. There are a couple of openings on the staff after Butler hired Ronald Nored to be their head coach and Conner Varney as an assistant.
- Hawks assistant Bryan Bailey was among the candidates who interviewed for the Trail Blazers‘ head coaching job, according to Scotto. Bailey joined Snyder in Atlanta after serving as an assistant on Snyder’s Utah staff.
- The Trail Blazers contacted the Cavaliers for permission to speak with assistant coach Omar Cook regarding a possible assistant coaching position, Scotto writes. Cook played for Portland during the 2003/04 season.
Bulls Get Permission To Interview Heat’s Chris Quinn
The Heat have granted the Bulls permission to interview assistant Chris Quinn for their open head coaching position, a source tells Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).
A former NBA point guard between 2006-13, Quinn transitioned into coaching after his retirement as a player and spent one season as an assistant at Northwestern before joining the Heat in 2014. He has been an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff for over a decade, earning a promotion to associate head coach during the 2024 offseason.
While Quinn’s lengthy stint with the Heat suggests he’s perfectly happy in Miami, there have been persistent rumors in recent years about teams eyeing him as a potential head coach. He has been connected to coaching vacancies on an annual basis, most recently being identified as a candidate for the Suns in 2025. He also interviewed with at least the Lakers and Cavaliers in 2024 and talked to the Bucks, Pistons, and Raptors in 2023, according to reports at the time.
The Bulls are in the market for a new head coach after parting ways with Billy Donovan last month, with new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham running the team’s search.
Quinn is one of many rumored candidates linked to the job — Sean Sweeney, Wes Unseld Jr., James Borrego, Micah Nori, Dave Bliss, Lamar Skeeter, Ryan Schmidt, and Jerry Stackhouse are also said to be on Chicago’s radar.
Jerry Stackhouse Among Bulls’ Head Coaching Candidates
Veteran NBA assistant Jerry Stackhouse has emerged as one of the candidates receiving consideration from the Bulls for their head coaching vacancy, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
An NBA player for 18 seasons from 1995-2013, Stackhouse transitioned into coaching following his retirement. He has been an assistant for the Raptors (2015-16), Grizzlies (2018-19), and Warriors (2024-26) and also had head coaching stints with the Raptors 905 (2016-18) and Vanderbilt University (2019-24).
Reporting last week indicated that Stackhouse’s contract with Golden State had expired and that he wouldn’t be returning to the team, as he was “actively” seeking a head coaching position.
Stackhouse has been linked to multiple NBA head coaching searches in past years. He reportedly interviewed with the Hornets in 2024 before they hired Charles Lee and was connected to the Pistons and Raptors when they were seeking new coaches during the 2023 offseason.
Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney, Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr., former Pelicans coach James Borrego, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Thunder assistant Dave Bliss, Hornets assistant Lamar Skeeter, and Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt have also been cited as candidates for the Bulls as they survey the market following their split with Billy Donovan.
Bulls Look To Interview Lamar Skeeter, Ryan Schmidt
The Bulls are expected to seek permission to interview Hornets assistant Lamar Skeeter and Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt as they seek a new head coach, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Upon being hired by Chicago as the team’s new head of basketball operations, Bryson Graham initially prioritized filling out his new-look front office. The team formally announced on Tuesday that Stephen Mervis is joining the organization as its senior VP of basketball operations and Acie Law IV has been hired as the VP of player personnel.
After finalizing those front office additions, the Bulls appear to be shifting in earnest to their head coaching search. Reporting earlier this week indicated that Sean Sweeney, James Borrego, Wes Unseld Jr., Micah Nori, and Dave Bliss are expected to interview for the coaching vacancy in Chicago, with Tiago Splitter also on the club’s radar.
Fischer adds a pair of new names to that list, and neither is one that we’ve heard connected to another head coaching position so far this spring.
Skeeter, 37, started out as a member of the Canton Charge’s coaching staff in the G League in 2012/13, then spent a season as a player development coach with the Hawks before being hired by the Jazz in 2014. He spent the next decade in Utah, working his way up from player development coach to lead assistant during that time. Skeeter was hired two years ago by Charlotte as the team’s top assistant under Charles Lee.
Schmidt, an assistant for the Raptors 905 in the G League for four seasons from 2017-21, has gained some head coaching experience since then, first with the London Lions in the British Basketball League and then with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate. He has been a full-time Hawks assistant under Quin Snyder since 2024.
We’re tracking the Bulls’ head coaching search and the rest of the NBA’s 2026 offseason coaching carousel right here.
Coaching Rumors: Splitter, Blazers, Bulls, Bickerstaff, More
After reporting a couple weeks ago that Tiago Splitter was unlikely to be hired as the Trail Blazers‘ head coach, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) has walked back that report to some extent.
As Fischer explains, there was initially pessimism that Portland would promote Splitter to the permanent job after he spent the majority of 2025/26 as the Blazers’ interim head coach. However, he heard “whispers” on Monday that the possibility can’t be ruled out.
Splitter, who was hired as an assistant last June, took over the top coaching post when Chauncey Billups was arrested on federal charges and placed on unpaid leave after the first game of the regular season. Splitter did an admirable job, leading the team to a 42-39 record and earning Portland’s first playoff spot in five years.
In addition to his success with the Blazers, the former NBA big man also earned “real respect” around the league for the way he handled himself and guided the team during an unprecedented situation, Fischer writes. As such, he’s still believed to be a candidate for the full-time job “on some level.”
For what it’s worth, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports says the “buzz in league circles” is new majority owner Tom Dundon isn’t a “big fan” of Splitter.
Other candidates for Portland’s head coaching vacancy include assistant coaches Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Steve Hetzel (Nets) and Greg St. Jean (Lakers), Fischer notes.
Here are several other coaching rumors from around the NBA:
- K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network continues to hear Sean Sweeney (Spurs), James Borrego (who spent ’25/26 as the Pelicans’ interim coach), Nori, and current Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr. are among the candidates to replace Billy Donovan as Chicago’s head coach (Twitter link). According to Fischer, all four of those coaches are expected to interview for the job, as is Thunder assistant Dave Bliss. Fischer has also been told the Bulls plan to request permission to interview Splitter, but it’s unclear if Portland will grant that request since Splitter is technically still under contract through next season.
- Like Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, Fischer says the Pistons remain fully committed to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, whom the team just signed to a contract extension after advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Bickerstaff’s extension is worth at least $10MM per year, according to Fischer, who confirms Taylor Jenkins received an eight-figure salary as well when he was hired by the Bucks. Jenkins reportedly received a six-year deal.
- Fischer, who previously reported that the Hawks were expected to discuss an extension with Quin Snyder, hears from sources that a new deal between the two sides is now considered imminent. General manager Onsi Saleh praised Snyder after Atlanta was eliminated from the playoffs. As with Bickerstaff and Jenkins, Snyder’s new contract is expected to be around eight figures, Fischer adds.
Bulls Hire Stephen Mervis, Acie Law To Front Office
The Bulls have officially hired Stephen Mervis and Acie Law IV to their front office, announcing the news in a press release. Mervis’ title is senior vice president of basketball operations, while Law is the new VP of player personnel.
Both moves were reported last week.
According to the team, Mervis will “primarily be responsible for salary cap strategy and analytics.” Law, a former NBA guard, will largely focus on the draft and scouting, but he’ll be involved in all aspects of player personnel as well.
Mervis has spent the past 12 years with the Magic after getting his NBA start as an intern with the Pacers. He steadily worked his way up Orlando’s organization, with his most recent title being assistant general manager.
Law was the 11th pick in the 2007 draft and spent four season in the NBA before continuing his career in Europe. He became a scout for Sacramento in 2018, spending four years with the Kings, then joined the Thunder’s front office from 2022-25. He spent last season as Brooklyn’s director of player personnel.
Mervis and Law are the first major hires under new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham, a longtime Pelicans employee who spent last season in Atlanta’s front office.
Billy Donovan Considered Frontrunner In Magic’s Coaching Search
The Magic have begun to speak to head coaching candidates as they look for a replacement for Jamahl Mosley, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
While Fischer cautions that things can change quickly in the NBA, coaching insiders around the league consider Billy Donovan the frontrunner for the job, with an “excellent shot” at being hired. Donovan spent the last six years as head coach of the Bulls before parting ways with Chicago last month.
Sources tell Fischer that Donovan has been talking to Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman about the position and will have an in-person interview “in the near future.”
Donovan nearly became Orlando’s head coach back in June 2007. He and the Magic reached an agreement on a five-year contract but Donovan wavered on the decision and ultimately backed out of the deal in order to return to the University of Florida. The Magic hired Stan Van Gundy instead.
Tom Thibodeau has been mentioned as a possible candidate in Orlando, but Fischer hears the Magic have yet to talk to him and he hasn’t been part of the interview process. Thibodeau is a coaching free agent after being fired by New York last summer.
Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy, on the other hand, is among the coaches on Orlando’s radar, report Fischer and his colleague Marc Stein. Van Gundy was head coach of the Knicks and Rockets from 1995-2007.
Although the Magic are said to be looking for an experienced candidate, they’re expected to interview Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney, according to Fischer, who says the 41-year-old is also a “prime candidate” to replace Donovan in Chicago.
Draft Rumors: Wizards, Jazz, Mara, Bucks, Nets, Kings, Suns
While AJ Dybantsa has emerged as the “presumptive favorite” to be selected No. 1 overall in next month’s draft and is the first player off the board in the latest mock draft from ESPN, Jeremy Woo reiterates that rival teams don’t view the BYU forward as a lock to be taken by the Wizards with the top pick.
As Woo writes, there’s a consensus top four in the 2026 draft, with Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson joining Dybantsa in that group. However, there isn’t a consensus No. 1. Peterson goes No. 2 to the Jazz in Woo’s mock, followed by Boozer at No. 3 (Grizzlies) and Wilson at No. 4 (Bulls).
Team sources tell Woo that Peterson “came across as quiet but serious” in interviews at last week’s combine and “handled that part of the process well.” Peterson faced questions about the cramping issues that plagued his freshman season at Kansas, Woo writes, and NBA clubs are still waiting for his medicals.
There was plenty of chatter about the Jazz potentially moving up to No. 1 at the combine, according to Woo, who says any talk on that front is speculative at this time. Like Sarah Todd of The Deseret News, Woo suggests the Jazz are far more likely to stay at No. 2 and take the best player available rather than trade up.
Here are some more rumors on the upcoming draft:
- Michigan center Aday Mara, one of the stars of the NCAA tournament as the Wolverines won their first championship since 1989, is selected by the Hawks with the eighth pick in Woo’s mock. Atlanta is expected to consider several guard prospects at that spot, but the Spanish big man is rising up draft boards and is considered a lock to be selected in the lottery, Woo reports.
- Milwaukee only controls the 10th pick in the 2026 draft, but rival teams tell Woo that the Bucks have been acting as though they’ll end up with multiple selections. As Woo notes, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that the Bucks are listening to trade offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo, with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps citing a growing belief around the league that the two-time MVP will be moved before the draft.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports has also updated his mock draft, and although he has Brooklyn taking Illinois guard Keaton Wagler at No. 6, he hears from league sources that the Nets have been connected to Mara and Tennessee forward Nate Ament. Woo has also heard the Nets aren’t considered a lock to take a guard, and suggests Brooklyn will consider moving up or down in the draft. For what’s worth, Woo and O’Connor both have Ament going 10th overall to the Bucks.
- The Kings, who control the seventh pick, are “widely believed” to be targeting Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, according to ESPN and Yahoo Sports. As O’Connor writes, there are several connections between Acuff and Sacramento’s front office, plus the Kings need a point guard.
- Phoenix currently only has one pick (47th overall), but league sources tell O’Connor the Suns will explore the possibility of acquiring a first-round selection.
Dubai Basketball Expresses Interest In Guerschon Yabusele
Dubai Basketball is “very interested” in signing Guerschon Yabusele if he decides to resume playing overseas, according to Oscar Herreros (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando).
The French forward is expected to have plenty of EuroLeague interest this summer after spending the past two seasons in the NBA. He declined his 2026/27 player option in February to help facilitate a trade from the Knicks to the Bulls. He said last month that he’s hoping to extend his NBA career, but he might have better options in Europe.
Yabusele spent two unproductive years in Boston after being selected with the 16th pick in the 2016 draft, but he blossomed into a star in Europe and had his best seasons with Real Madrid. He caught the attention of NBA scouts and executives with an outstanding showing for France in the 2024 Olympics and chose Philadelphia out of several NBA offers.
Yabusele showed promise during his return to the league with the Sixers in 2024/25 and signed a multiyear deal with the Knicks last summer. However, he couldn’t duplicate that performance in New York and wound up out of the rotation, averaging just 8.9 minutes in 41 games. He got a bit of a revival with a trade to Chicago at the deadline and finished the season strong, starting 19 of the 26 games he played for the Bulls and averaging 10.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per night while shooting 38.3% from three-point range.
At age 30, Yabusele faces an uncertain NBA future, especially with the changes in Chicago’s front office. Although he plans to explore his NBA opportunities, a return to Europe may wind up being more profitable.
Dubai made its EuroLeague debut last season with a roster that featured several ex-NBA players, and the franchise continues to be aggressive in its pursuit of high-level talent. Former NBA big man Mamadi Diakite is also rumored to be considering a deal with Dubai.