This is not a standard offseason in the world of NBA coaching. Maybe this will mark a true turning point, an era with player salaries rising so high, the adage “easy to change coach” reaches new limits than an overhaul. But this rare number of high-profile jobs to lead to win-now situations in Phoenix, Milwaukee and Philadelphia has spurred plenty of personnel movement around the league, before adding two interesting vacancies in Toronto and Detroit. . Not to mention Houston is already tapping Ime Udoka as its next bench leader.
It has become so common for coaches to bear the brunt of post-season expectations that former champion franchises that they recently brought to the Promised Land, that collapse of Boston and Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals 3–0 series deficit against. There has been much speculation regarding the future of Celtics rookie head coach Joe Majulla.
The Boston staff has shown unwavering support for Mazzulla, a personal favorite of Celtics president Brad Stevens, who is the first chair to leap from behind Udoka’s bench after Boston suspended Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season. But came The feeling around Boston, as recently as last week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, was that the Celtics would provide the 34-year-old Mazzulla plenty of runway to develop into an advanced role on the team’s sidelines, sources said. Stevens himself was 36 when Danny Ainge anointed the former Butler head coach as Boston’s steward, to the tune of a six-year contract that provided Stevens with all the support and opportunities to develop. If the Celtics suddenly reversed course on Majulla, it would be a drastic change of direction from the franchise’s original intent, allowing Majulla to grow in position for the same amount of time, sources said, even Boston’s competitive roster is also considered opposed to rebuilding the one Stevens once inherited.
That should signal at least some level of coaching change as the Celtics near the end of the season. Sources told Yahoo Sports that Boston is in talks with two former head coaches, Frank Vogel and Stephen Silas. Several people involved in building Udoka’s bench in Houston have indicated that several high-ranking Boston assistants could join the Rockets at the end of the year. Nets assistant Royal Ivey recently agreed to leave the team with Brooklyn and Udoka after sharing sessions together at Barclays Center.
At this rate, Milwaukee could be the next team to finalize its coaching search, as the Pistons have yet to finalize their playoffs despite three known finalists in Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Pelicans assistant Jaron Collins and former Overtime Elite head coach Kevin Ollie. – The caller has not been determined. Met with Detroit owner Tom Gores in Los Angeles two weeks ago. Lee was also a candidate in Milwaukee. However, the Bucks narrowed down their coaching search over the weekend, league sources told Yahoo Sports, identifying former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and Toronto assistant Adrian Griffin as well as Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as the final three names. done as
Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst made a strong commitment to pursue another banner behind Giannis Antetokounmpo during first-round interviews with more than a dozen candidates, sources said. With the futures of Brooke Lopez and Chris Middleton both expected to be lucrative trips into unrestricted free agency as key starting prospects, as well as Junior Holiday having only two years remaining on his own expensive contract, the stakes are as high as their Decision can be taken together. This suggested to many with knowledge of the discovery that Griffin’s first chance to lead an NBA team would come at this juncture in Milwaukee, though he certainly has impressed the Bucks leadership so far in the process.
Nurse Championship Background Bucks presents that desire so clearly. It will be interesting if Milwaukee’s quick search — expected to end this week, according to sources — will outpace those in Philadelphia and Phoenix, where Nurses is also a primary candidate. The Sixers’ interviewing process is now underway, the sources said, led by president Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand, but it is still premature to determine any true favorites to fill the vacancy. Phoenix’s effort to replace Montee Williams has been the quietest of the league’s undecided coaching positions, though former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers is expected to get ideas from Phoenix’s new regime under owner Matt Ishbia, sources said. Kevin Durant is a known fan of the nurse gimmick, Meanwhile, former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer is not viewed as a likely candidate for the Suns, sources said, while he is among six names Philadelphia is considering for his position.
Atkinson would bring another compelling result to Milwaukee’s search for a Budd replacement. After building a strong reputation for player development during his tenure as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and serving in Golden State for the previous two seasons, Atkinson spent four seasons as Budenholzer’s assistant in Atlanta from 2012–16. Spent years Much of the reason behind firing Budenholzer in Milwaukee was the hope of finding a new voice for Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks’ locker room. Atkinson could introduce a different character to the familiar plans for Milwaukee and perhaps allow several Bucks coaches to remain on staff, although this isn’t the most traditional deviation from previous head coaches.
Many around the league expected Williams to receive strong consideration from Milwaukee after he ended up in Phoenix, and there were several figures in the NBA’s coaching ranks who expressed surprise at his absence from the Bucks’ final group. Williams was recently pursued by Detroit for the Pistons job, sources said, which should add to the slow results between Lee, Collins and Ollie. At this point, it appears Williams is more likely to lock down next season, with three years and $21 million remaining on his Suns deal, than return to the sidelines in a new position.
The Raptors’ slow search has included bringing several candidates back for second interviews, the sources said, including Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez and Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic. Most of the Raptors’ preliminary meetings have taken place over Zoom, while Toronto sent president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster to Italy to meet with former Raptors assistant Sergio Scariolo, sources told Yahoo Sports, where he is currently the head coach of Virtus Bologna. Work as a coach. , Atkinson is another name to oversee the Raptors’ decision-making, the sources said.
Toronto isn’t afraid to make an unconventional rental. The sources said the Raptors have already met with former player and current broadcaster JJ Reddick and interviewed former Nets head coach and two-time MVP Steven Nash. While it’s unclear how seriously Nash will be involved in the Raptors’ process going forward, several people familiar with the Hall of Fame point guard have indicated that Nash is determined to learn from his shortcomings in Brooklyn, looking for another opportunity. Future NBA bench with a strong desire to lead.
