After the NBA saw no firings during the entirety of the 2016-17 season, three NBA head coaches (Earl Watson, David Fizdale and Jason Kidd) have already lost their jobs — and there might be more moves coming.
With the league's coaching carousel set to go into full swing this summer, let's examine the landscape and see what changes might be on the horizon for a few franchises.
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— Phoenix is targeting former Memphis coach Dave Fizdale to replace interim coach Jay Triano, according to league sources. When Fizdale was the lead assistant to Eric Spoelstra in Miami during the LeBron Era, James Jones was on the Heat roster. Jones has been the Suns' vice president of basketball operations since last July.
The Suns could have some strong competition for Fizdale, though — sources report that he has his eye on the Lakers job, and the feeling is that his strong ties to James can help the Lakers land LeBron when free agency opens on July 1. James didn’t just support Fizdale after his firing. He went on the attack, saying on Twitter, "I need some answers. Feels like my man was a fall guy." That’s how highly he regards Fizdale, an LA native.
The league view is if the Lakers can land James with Fizdale’s help, they’ll have to move on from Luke Walton. (ESPN's Brian Windhorst also reported last month executives and agents around the league anticipated the Lakers might go after Fizdale, especially after LA's front office didn't come to Walton's immediate defense following LaVar Ball's critical comments.)
— Orlando could be making a coaching change, with former NBA player Jerry Stackhouse seen as the Magic’s No. 1 choice to replace Frank Vogel. After a 20-year career in which he was twice an All-Star, Stackhouse has coached Toronto’s G-League team and has close ties to Jeff Weltman, now running the Magic as president of basketball operations after being with the Raptors and seeing Stackhouse up close when he was an assistant coach.
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— With his team vying for a playoff spot despite trading off Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, Doc Rivers has done one of his best coaching jobs and still has strong supporters among the top people in the Clippers’ front office. If he stays on as coach, that could ruin the Knicks’ plans.
There is a growing sentiment within New York’s hierarchy to hire Rivers, a former Knicks player, to replace Jeff Hornacek. Sources say Hornacek’s days in New York could be over once the season ends. It hasn’t been all of his fault, but he was brought to the Garden by former team president Phil Jackson and not the current regime headed by Steve Mills.
— Stan Van Gundy is expected to at least lose his role as team president in Detroit, if not also his coaching duties, with Pistons exec Arn Tellem waiting in the wings to take over the basketball operations. Tellem, one of pro sports’ top agents for the better part of 25 years, has been Pistons VP and owner Tom Gores’ right-hand man since 2015.
Speculation is that Van Gundy will need to make the playoffs to keep his coaching job. He’s completing the fourth year of a five-year deal worth $35 million.
Listen to Mitch Lawrence on SiriusXM NBA Radio on The Starting Lineup, Above The Rim, NBA Today and NBA Weekend. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Lawrence.