NBA Swing: Five Coaches on the Hot Seat Next Season

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The 2026 NBA offseason would see a fifth of the league hire new coaches, with coaching changes occurring in Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, and Portland. What the modern NBA has shown is that long term coaches are a thing of the past, with the three longest active tenured coaches being Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat, 18 seasons), Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors, 12 seasons), and Tyronn Lue (Los Angeles Clippers), Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves) (six seasons). With the coaching carousel always moving, more coaches are expected to be on the hot seat for the 2026-27 season, with some names expected and some surprising names unexpectedly on the hot seat as well.

Kenny Atkinson

Kenny Atkinson is headed into his third season of coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers. In those two seasons, the Cavs have won 64 and 52 games. In the regular season, the Cavs have been one of the better teams but have fallen apart in the playoffs. In 2025, they would lose in the second round to the fourth seed Indiana Pacers in five games. In 2026, the Cavs would be swept by the eventual 2026 NBA Champion New York Knicks. The Cavs have already made moves attempting to improve, trading Darius Garland for James Harden, but are at a point where a coaching decision is likely the next change coming. With the Cavs making no real changes this offseason and Eastern Conference foes improving over time, Atkinson could be coaching his last year with Cleveland if the Cavaliers flame out in the postseason again.

Micah Nori

In his first head coaching role, Micah Nori is already on the hot seat, through no fault of his own. After a decade and a half as an assistant coach for five different teams, Micah Nori would get his first chance as a head coach, joining the Portland Trail Blazers on a one-year deal. With new ownership in Portland that has been criticized for their cost-cutting measures and reportedly lowballing other coaching options, Nori’s one-year deal puts immediate pressure to build upon Portland’s 42-40 finish. With Portland retaining much of its 2025-26 roster and acquiring Ja Morant, the expectation is that Portland will improve, but with one injury to a star player like Ja or Deni Avdija, the Trailblazers’ entire season could be flipped upside down and ownership could seek change. Unfortunately for Nori, his first head coaching role could be his most challenging for forces out of his control.

Jamahl Mosley

Another coach with a new team, Jamahl Mosley had a rough stint with some highs and plenty of lows during his stint as Orlando Magic head coach. In five seasons as head coach, Mosley would lead the team to three seasons finishing .500 or better, but would struggle in the playoffs, being eliminated in the first round three seasons in a row. Mosley would lose the locker room in Orlando, but now joining the New Orleans Pelicans, Mosley joins an organization that has had its own chaos, especially with its roster. The organization has refused to make any big moves with its roster and has kept certain players longer than they should have. Finishing 26-56 last season and their only offseason move being retaining veteran big man DeAndre Jordan, the Pelicans are likely to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference again. If this happens, it would not be a surprise if the Pelicans move on from Mosley before they make any drastic roster moves.

Joe Mazzulla

In what may be the most surprising name on this list, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has a heavy task ahead of him coaching a Boston Celtics team that just traded away a Finals MVP in Jaylen Brown. The Boston Celtics were supposed to be the NBA’s next dynasty following their 2024 championship, but the league’s second apron would ultimately be the cause of the J’s duo being broken up. Now having a Jayson Tatum still recovering from an Achilles tear, and a late 30’s Paul George, expectations have fallen for Boston. They’re still seen as a likely playoff contender, but they’re not seen as the championship contender they once were, despite what management says. While it’s unlikely Boston would fire Mazzulla this season, early playoff exits are building up, and no head coaching job is truly safe.

Chris Finch

In his first head coaching role, Chris Finch has had a strong stint leading the Minnesota Timberwolves. In six seasons, Finch has led the Wolves to five winning seasons, five playoff appearances, and back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances in 2024 and 2025. Minnesota would be hampered by injuries in the 2026 playoffs, but like many in the modern NBA, the fear of the second apron has driven Minnesota to make drastic moves to avoid penalties. Minnesota would trade Julius Randle and Naz Reid in several cost-cutting-focused trades, bringing back LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets. For Minnesota, the question is whether the team truly improved during the offseason, and in a stacked Western Conference that’s only getting better, Minnesota could be stagnating. If the 2026-27 season goes wrong or the team faces an early playoff exit, Finch’s future as head coach is likely to be questioned.