Bucks To Hire Patrick St. Andrews As Assistant Coach
The Bucks are hiring former Trail Blazers assistant coach Patrick St. Andrews as an assistant under new head coach Taylor Jenkins, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). St. Andrews previously worked with Jenkins when they were both with the Grizzlies.
St. Andrews was in charge of managing Portland’s minutes distribution and restrictions due to injuries last season, according to Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (via Twitter), who notes that St. Andrews was one of the team’s top assistants.
Prior to stints in Memphis and Portland, St. Andrews spent five seasons as an assistant with the Bucks, making this move something of a homecoming. It also gives Jenkins a familiar face as he continues to build out Milwaukee’s coaching staff.
Lakers, Warriors Long Shots In Giannis Sweepstakes?
The Lakers and Warriors are expected to be among the teams talking to the Bucks about a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the coming weeks, but neither Pacific team looks like the frontrunner to land the two-time MVP, according to reports from ESPN.
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show this week (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania suggested that the Lakers aren’t expected to involve Austin Reaves (via potential sign-and-trade) in their offer for Antetokounmpo. Beyond Reaves, the team isn’t exactly loaded with attractive young talent, and the Stepien rule prevents Los Angeles from offering more than three first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033).
“The Lakers expressed interest in Giannis at the deadline,” Charania said. “Right now, what they’ll be able to offer is three first-round picks and cap space (to) essentially absorb Giannis’ contract.
“Now, if you’re the Bucks, are you just going to trade Giannis to the Lakers for cap space (and) three first-round picks? My sense is they’re going to get better in the marketplace than that. I think there’s a bigger appetite than that. And so, time will tell. We’ll know in the next six weeks.”
The Warriors pursued Antetokounmpo more seriously than the Lakers did at February’s deadline, but the Bucks turned them down at the time and Golden State isn’t really in position to significantly improve its offer this spring.
The Warriors could put together a package that includes up to four first-round picks (likely 2026, 2028, 2030 between 1-20, and either 2032 or 2033), plus guard Brandin Podziemski. Some combination of Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, and/or Draymond Green could also factor into Golden State’s offer, but Moody and Butler are recovering from major injuries and won’t be healthy to open the 2026/27 season, while Green has a decision to make on a player option.
“This is just my read on it,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater said during a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (Twitter video link; hat tip to RealGM). “I think (the Warriors are) not first in line, not second or third in line, really, at this point as far as packages that appeal most to Milwaukee. We know by deadline time Miami’s (offer) was the one that the Bucks seemed to be contemplating.”
Although Slater believes the Warriors will “cautiously enter the waters” when it comes to big-game hunting for star-level veterans like Antetokounmpo this summer, he said he wouldn’t be surprised if they simply use the 11th overall pick to select a player in next month’s draft, pointing out that the team could probably find a prospect at that spot who could immediately contribute and still has long-term upside (Twitter video link).
Slater added that he also expects the Warriors to prioritize “mid-prime” players as they seek roster upgrades this offseason, observing that they lost one player who fit that bill when they sent Andrew Wiggins to Miami at the 2025 deadline.
“You don’t want to be loaded with 19-year-olds and 37-year-olds,” he said.
Eastern Notes: Sixers, Nelson, Giannis, Wizards, Nets
After Marc Stein reported that Sixers assistant general manager Jameer Nelson is a candidate for an “expanded role” following Daryl Morey‘s exit and Jake Fischer confirmed that Nelson has many supporters within the organization, Tony Jones of The Athletic hears from multiple league sources that the former NBA point guard is a legitimate candidate to become the next president of basketball operations in Philadelphia.
Nelson is the strongest internal candidate in the Sixers’ front office search, and even if he doesn’t take Morey’s spot atop the basketball operations department, he appears likely to receive a promotion, league sources tell Jones.
Although Nelson was technically third in the 76ers’ front office hierarchy under Morey and GM Elton Brand this past season, he had more responsibilities than a “typical” No. 3, Jones explains, adding that Nelson is viewed as a rising star and is expected to get an opportunity to run a team sooner or later, even if he doesn’t happen this offseason.
Jones also confirms several previously reported details related to the Sixers’ search for Morey’s successor, writing that Mike Gansey, Nick U’Ren, Trent Redden, and Matt Lloyd are considered candidates and noting that Atlanta denied Philadelphia’s request to speak to Hawks GM Onsi Saleh last week.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Appearing earlier this week on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that while he hasn’t explicitly requested a trade, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has “believed for a period of months” that a deal sending him to a new team is ultimately in both his and the Bucks’ best interests. “Giannis’s stance has not changed from what I’ve reported over the last several months,” Charania said.
- Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears and Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder were among the prospects in for a pre-draft workout with the Wizards this week, tweets Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Washington controls two of the last 10 picks in this year’s draft, at No. 51 and No. 60, while Fears currently ranks 67th on ESPN’s big board and Suder comes in at 101st.
- The Nets took point guards with their first two picks in the 2025 draft, but Arkansas’ Darius Acuff could still make sense for Brooklyn with this year’s No. 6 overall pick, writes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Neither Egor Demin nor Nolan Traore made an All-Rookie team, and while there are concerns about Acuff’s size and defense, he offers star potential as a scorer.
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.
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.
Wolves Notes: Edwards, Offseason Changes, Reid, Dosunmu
The course for the Timberwolves‘ season was set by a strategic decision coach Chris Finch made shortly before opening night, Chris Hine of The Minnesota Star Tribune writes in a subscriber-only piece. Finch replaced veteran point guard Mike Conley in the starting lineup with Donte DiVincenzo, making Anthony Edwards the team’s primary ball-handler. Although he believed in the move at the time, Finch referred to it at Saturday’s end-of-season press conference as an “original sin” that the team could never overcome.
“Flipping Ant to the point guard spot just on the eve of the season, it certainly helped with Donte,” Finch said. “But it probably didn’t put everybody in the best position there, Ant included.”
Hine states that the adjustment wound up affecting the team on and off the court. Conley posted the worst season of his career before being traded in February and ultimately re-signed; Edwards’ pairing with Julius Randle never became as smooth as the organization had hoped; and Edwards’ increased play-making responsibilities seemed to impact his defense.
The lack of an experienced point guard to make sure everyone felt like they were contributing to the offense created a “moodiness” that several players referenced during their exit interviews. Hine cites a “detrimental impact” if certain players weren’t getting the shots they expected, even when the team was winning.
Sources told Hine that it didn’t take much for players to get into a “funk” and affect the team’s overall performance. Finch points to better “connectivity” as one of the themes for the offseason, and Naz Reid notes that the West’s top two teams, the Thunder and Spurs, seem to be on the same page more than the Wolves are.
“Being consistent, not moody, and having that competitive edge we had last year and the year before,” Reid told reporters. “… You can’t get anywhere if you’re fighting yourself, so I think that’ll help for sure.”
There’s more from Minnesota:
- The Wolves are expected to explore major changes this offseason, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. He notes that president of basketball operations Tim Connelly opted to keep the core of the team together after losing in the conference finals last year but is expected to aggressively seek trades this summer. Minnesota was among the teams that contacted the Bucks about Giannis Antetokounmpo before the deadline, and that pursuit will likely resume over the next few weeks. Krawczynski reports that talks with Milwaukee seemed to affect the locker room, particularly Randle, who was rumored to be headed out in a potential deal.
- Krawczynski expects changes to focus on the frontline, where Rudy Gobert ($36.5MM), Randle ($33MM) and Reid ($23.3MM) will combine to make nearly $95MM next season. Center Joan Beringer showed promise as a rookie, and the Wolves will want to give him more playing time in his second year.
- Reid was playing with a lingering shoulder injury he experienced around the All-Star break, Hine tweets. “There were times I couldn’t even shoot the ball, for real,” he said.
- Re-signing Ayo Dosunmu, who was acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline, should be an offseason priority, states Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Wolves hold Bird rights on Dosunmu, who will be eligible for to sign a three-year, $52.4MM extension until June 30. Marks points out that the team would have to unload at least $58.5MM in salary to be able to re-sign Dosunmu to a deal in that range without triggering a second apron hard cap.
- Edwards is also extension-eligible this summer, Marks adds, but only at $121.6MM over two seasons. He’s likely to wait a year and could be in line for $300MM over four seasons in 2027 if he earns a spot on the All-NBA team.
Bucks Notes: Giannis, Accountability, Prospects, Offseason
Giannis Antetokounmpo played a career-low 36 games due to a variety of injuries in 2025/26. However, the Bucks superstar says he’s feeling healthy and spry in his first extended offseason in several years, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscriber link).
Antetokounmpo, 31, says he’s particularly excited about being able to work on developing his skills over the next few months until training camps begin in the fall.
“I’ve seen the difference, which I’m very excited for,” he said. “Because this is going to be the first year in my career that I’m going to go from January, pretty much, until October, fully healthy. I can work on whatever I want. All the skills that I want. I can make mistakes. It’s May. Nobody’s in the gym with me. There’s no crowds. There’s no media. I can fail many times and I can just get up and pat myself on the back and come back the next day and try to be better.”
While Antetokounmpo is hoping to recapture his MVP-level form next season, he admitted he wasn’t sure which team he’ll be on, simply saying, “We’ll see.” But the nine-time All-NBA forward did say he’s using external doubts about his health and/or game as motivational fuel, Owczarski writes.
“I feel good. I feel really good,” Antetokounmpo said, his voice rising a pitch. “And I love when people doubt me. I love it. I want more doubt. Everybody on your social media; follow me on that stuff and talk [expletive] to me all year long. All summer, all offseason. That’s all I want to see. I want to see doubt. No compliments.
“Tell me how much I suck and I didn’t make the playoffs and I’m not good at that or I’m not good at this. Just keep on putting gasoline in the fire and just keep on adding to that. That’s what I love. I love when people don’t believe in me. And when I come [back] I’ll do what I’m supposed to do.”
Here’s more from Milwaukee:
- Center Myles Turner raised some eyebrows recently when he claimed ex-head coach Doc Rivers didn’t fine any Bucks players for being late to team activities. Turner also singled out Antetokounmpo as his teammate most likely to be tardy for those activities. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, “accountability” was a talking point during the press conference to introduce new head coach Taylor Jenkins, and that theme continued this week during combine interviews with prospects. Milwaukee controls the 10th pick in June’s draft. “I had a really good conversation with them and Coach Jenkins,” projected lottery pick Mikel Brown said. “He’s just talking about the stuff that I can work on, right? They know what I’m capable of, and they know the strengths that I have. It’s really just about trying to key in on the stuff that I could be better on. And I can appreciate that, because I love to be coached hard. I appreciate being held accountable, right? I love that type of coaching, and that’s how I’ve been raised all my life, and every single coach that I’ve played for has done that and got me to this point. So I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
- Darius Acuff, Nate Ament, Brayden Burries, Cameron Carr, Chris Cenac, Aday Mara, Labaron Philon and Keaton Wagler are among the other prospects who confirmed to The Athletic that they’d spoken to the Bucks, Nehm adds.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Bucks’ offseason, writing that determining whether to trade or keep Antetokounmpo is the clear top priority in Milwaukee, but there are other roster moves to consider as well. Smith expects Kevin Porter Jr. to decline his $5.4MM player option in search of a more lucrative contract in free agency, predicting that the 26-year-old will return to the Bucks on a new multiyear deal in the range of $12-16MM annually. Smith also thinks restricted free agent Ousmane Dieng is a good bet to return, and suggests signing the French forward to a multiyear deal worth around $10MM per year would be a reasonable contract for both sides.
Bontemps/Windhorst’s Latest: Pistons, Giannis, Kawhi, More
After averaging 22.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game on 67.8% shooting following the All-Star break, Pistons center Jalen Duren has struggled to make an impact during the postseason. Duren is putting up just 10.1 PPG and 8.3 RPG through 12 playoff games and was benched in the fourth quarter and overtime of Detroit’s Game 5 loss on Wednesday in favor of Paul Reed.
Duren’s poor postseason play has the potential to complicate his contract negotiations with the Pistons when he reaches restricted free agency this summer, notes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“He’s not a max player, but they’re probably going to have to give him the max,” one Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “Because now teams (with cap room) like Chicago or Brooklyn might see him as someone they could get with a max offer sheet and Detroit will have to match. With the new apron rules, it might come back to bite (the Pistons), and it’s just another example of how the CBA crushes team building.”
The Pistons will also face a tricky negotiation this offseason with wing Ausar Thompson, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension ahead of his fourth NBA season. Thompson is a defensive dynamo but remains a very limited offensive player who made six three-pointers all season and converted just 57.1% of his free throws. Like Duren, he has been benched in some clutch-time situations during the postseason.
Still, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, some league insiders he spoke to about Thompson predicted the Defensive Player of the Year finalist could command an extension in the range of $25MM per year, the same average annual salary that Dyson Daniels (four years, $100MM) and Christian Braun (five years, $125MM) got on their rookie scale extensions last fall.
Here’s more league-wide chatter from Windhorst and Bontemps:
- While there have been a few false alarms on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade front, there’s a growing belief around the NBA that the Bucks will actually trade their two-time MVP this offseason, Bontemps reports. “It just feels like they’re done with the circus, more than anything,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “They seem to want a clean break and to move on.”
- Most sources who spoke to Bontemps at this week’s draft combine in Chicago about the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard believe the team should retain its star forward as he enters the final year of his current contract. However, not everyone agreed on whether or not to extend him — one scout pointed out that Leonard “clearly” wants to be in L.A. and argued the club should be no rush to lock him up, while another expressed that an extension is the right move as long as the terms “make sense for the team.” One Eastern Conference executive also suggested to Windhorst that Leonard could have significant trade value if the Clippers are willing to make him available: “Every day you hear about what’s going to happen with Giannis, but everyone ignores that Kawhi has been better and healthier over the last two seasons. If you had a chance to acquire one or the other, I might go Kawhi.”
- Despite the fact that the Sixers have a pair of pricey multiyear contracts on their books for injury-prone veterans Joel Embiid and Paul George, their head of basketball operations job is viewed as “enticing” due to the Tyrese Maxey/VJ Edgecombe backcourt duo, several executives told Windhorst at the combine.
- The general consensus at the combine was that returning to the Lakers is the most likely outcome for LeBron James this summer, since it’s “hard to fit him anywhere” else, as one Western Conference scout told Bontemps. An East executive who spoke to Windhorst indicated he’d be willing to pay James whatever he wanted on a one-year deal if he were running the Lakers. “Give him the no-trade clause,” the exec said. “Everything (Lakers owner Mark) Walter has done so far has been about good business. LeBron sells tickets. He keeps the (local) TV partner happy. Re-signing LeBron is good business.”
Central Notes: Turner, Giannis, Bulls, Unseld, Cavs, Pacers
Asked by WNBA star Breanna Stewart during the latest episode of the Game Recognize Game podcast (YouTube link) whether NBA players face in-house fines for minor on- or off-court transgressions, Bucks center Myles Turner said “it depends on the coach.”
“Doc Rivers, he didn’t fine anybody, ever,” Turner said of the Bucks’ former head coach. “So guys were late all the time. Guys were showing up to film whenever they wanted to show up. Guys were missing meetings. It was one of the craziest things I’ve personally experienced.
“But any other team I’ve been on, guys got fined. And there was a sense of order and a sense of understanding. So yeah, you’re late to the plane? Fined. You’re late to treatment? Fined. You’re late to film? Fined. But I personally did not experience that last year for the first time in my career.”
When Stewart followed up to ask which of Turner’s teammates was most likely to show up late to a team activity, the big man singled out two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Giannis is gonna show up whenever he wants, really,” Turner said. “I think that this kind of just came with the territory of that. And once I kind of saw what was going down, I was like, ‘Hey man, more power to you. (If) they ain’t going to fine you, s–t, do what you do.'”
We have more from around the Central:
- With the Bucks once again fielding inquiries on Antetokounmpo, ESPN’s Bobby Marks takes a closer look at the assets that 10 possible suitors have to offer for the superstar forward.
- Although the Bulls are hiring a new head coach, several of their assistants are expected to return in 2026/27, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. One of those assistants, Wes Unseld Jr., is a candidate to be interviewed for the head coaching vacancy, Johnson adds. Unseld was the Wizards’ head coach for two-and-a-half seasons from 2021-24.
- Head coach Kenny Atkinson was critical of the Cavaliers‘ mental toughness after the team was upset by Indiana in the second round of the playoffs, but the Cavs are starting to rewire that narrative this spring, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). Cleveland has bounced back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals and overcame Detroit’s nine-point lead with less than three minutes to go in Game 5 on Wednesday. “We just made big plays,” Atkinson said, per Fedor. “I think that stretch says a lot about our progress, mental performance progress, mental toughness progress. Kept at it. These guys, they never get down.”
- It could be a relatively quiet summer in Indiana, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link), who notes within his offseason preview that the Pacers are hovering right below the luxury tax line with 14 players projected to be under contract. The team has some extension candidates and could make some tweaks around the margins, but the front office might not have a ton of work to do this offseason, Gozlan writes.
2026 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker
Multiple teams around the NBA are making head coaching changes in advance of the 2026/27 season. In the space below, we’ll provide regular updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title. Some of these searches could extend well into the offseason, so be sure to check back often for the latest updates.
You’ll be able to access this page anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
Updated 6-5-26 (6:31 am CT)
Active Searches
Chicago Bulls
- Previous coach:
- Billy Donovan (story)
- Reportedly considering:
- Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr. (story)
- Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori (story)
- Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
- Former Pelicans coach James Borrego (story)
- Thunder assistant Dave Bliss (story)
- Hornets assistant Lamar Skeeter (story)
- Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt (story)
- Former Warriors assistant Jerry Stackhouse (story)
- Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant (story)
- BYU coach Kevin Young (story)
- Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter (story)
The Bulls parted ways with top front office executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley shortly after the regular season ended, but seemed prepared – or even eager – to bring back Donovan. Ultimately though, with the team seemingly entering a rebuilding period, Donovan decided against returning, having reportedly determined that both sides would benefit from a fresh start.
Donovan’s exit puts new executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham in position to choose his own head coach in his first year on the job. It will be a big offseason for Graham, who is also reshaping the Bulls’ front office.
Dallas Mavericks
- Previous coach:
- Jason Kidd (story)
- Reportedly considering:
Before the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri to run their front office, all indications were that the Mavericks envisioned Kidd remaining a fixture on the sidelines in Dallas. The Mavs extended Kidd in 2024 and again in 2025, and he reportedly still had four years and more than $40MM left on his contract entering this offseason.
However, Ujiri was noncommittal about Kidd’s future during his introductory press conference in early May, and less than two weeks later, word broke that the two sides had agreed to part ways. While it was framed as a mutual decision, it sure sounds as if Ujiri wanted to start with a clean slate as he looks to find the right coach to help turn Cooper Flagg into a superstar.
Portland Trail Blazers
- Previous coach:
- Tiago Splitter (interim)
- Reported finalists:
- Also reportedly considered:
- Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy (story)
- Jazz assistant Mike Williams (story)
- Former Warriors assistant Jerry Stackhouse (story)
- Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley (story)
- Rockets assistant Ben Sullivan (story)
- Nets assistant Steve Hetzel (story)
- Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean (story)
- Rockets assistant Royal Ivey (story)
- St. Louis University coach Josh Schertz (story)
- Iowa coach Ben McCollum (story)
- Celtics assistant D.J. MacLeay (story)
- Heat consultant Noah LaRoche (story)
- Brisbane Bullets coach/president Will Weaver (story)
- Hawks assistant Bryan Bailey (story)
- Former Mavericks coach Jason Kidd (story)
The Trail Blazers may end up technically replacing two head coaches this offseason. While Chauncey Billups was never technically fired, it seems pretty safe to assume his coaching tenure in Portland is over following his October arrest on money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. Splitter did an admirable job upon being promoted from his assistant role, leading the Blazers to their first playoff berth in five years, but he’s one of several candidates being considered for the permanent position.
The involvement of new team owner Tom Dundon is a wild-card factor here. At least one report has indicated that Dundon wants to interview upwards of 30 candidates for the job in the hopes of gathering as much intel as possible on the coaching market. There have also been rumors suggesting that Dundon isn’t looking to spend more than about $1.5MM per year, which would make the Blazers’ coach the lowest-paid in the NBA. However, sources connected to the Blazers’ owner and the team have pushed back on those reports.
For what it’s worth, some experienced coaches – including Michael Malone and Tom Thibodeau – reportedly rebuffed the Blazers’ efforts to speak to them when they launched their search while Splitter was still coaching the team in the playoffs.
Completed Searches
Milwaukee Bucks
- New coach:
- Taylor Jenkins (story)
- Previous coach:
- Doc Rivers (story)
- Also reportedly considered:
- Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
When the Bucks announced their split with Rivers, they said he was “stepping down,” and the Hall of Famer later insisted it was “100%” his decision to leave. Still, it sure seemed by the end of the season that both sides were ready for a change, with one report in early April suggesting there had been a “season-long disconnect” between Rivers and his players.
While Milwaukee likely looked at a few more candidates who went unreported, it didn’t take the team long to zero in on Jenkins. He was identified even before the end of the regular season as a top target, and the Bucks reportedly reached a deal with him just 10 days after confirming that Rivers wouldn’t return.
Jenkins’ track record of player development, culture-setting, and competitiveness during his time as Memphis’ head coach was said to appeal to the Bucks, who invested heavily in him. One report said he received a six-year deal, while another said he’ll be paid “well north” of $10MM annually.
New Orleans Pelicans
- New coach:
- Jamahl Mosley (story)
- Previous coach:
- James Borrego (interim)
- Also reportedly considered:
After firing Willie Green early in the 2025/26 season, the Pelicans turned to Borrego, who was the lead assistant on Green’s staff and had previous head coaching stints in Orlando and Charlotte. New Orleans played a little better after the coaching change, but Borrego didn’t exactly lock up the permanent job by leading the club to a 24-46 record, so the front office opened up its search to outside candidates this spring.
While New Orleans reportedly considered candidates like Rondo, Ham, Hetzel, and Sweeney, it seemed as if the Pelicans were just waiting to see whether Mosley would be available. Their interest in Orlando’s head coach was reported way back in November when Green was let go, so when the Magic dismissed Mosley in early May following its first-round playoff exit, the only question was whether or not he’d want to take a year off after spending the past five seasons with the Magic.
As it turned out, Mosley was eager to jump right into a new job and agreed to a five-year contract to become New Orleans’ new head coach. The Pelicans are said to be optimistic that Mosley, who took over a 21-win Magic squad and eventually guided the team to three consecutive playoff appearances, can lead the 26-56 Pelicans on a similar upward trajectory.
Orlando Magic
The Magic entered the season projected to be one of the top three or four teams in the East and instead spent most of the year battling for play-in positioning. Injuries were a factor, but the club’s performance was still disappointing enough that Mosley was on the hot seat for much of the second half. It briefly looked in the first round of the playoffs like he might be able to save his job when Orlando took a 3-1 lead on the top-seeded Pistons, but with Franz Wagner sidelined, the team lost the final three games of that series and Mosley was dismissed less than 24 hours later.
No Magic players under contract for 2026/27 are over 28 years old, but this is still a veteran roster with win-now expectations, so there was an expectation that Orlando’s head coaching hire would reflect that, with the team favoring someone with previous experience. And two of the finalists in the search, Donovan and Van Gundy, certainly fit that bill.
But it was the third finalist, Sweeney, who reportedly “blew away” team officials during the interview process and earned the job, with Orlando opting for another first-time head coach. Although getting deeper into the playoffs is their primary goal, the Magic also believe there’s more room for their current core players to grow and value Sweeney’s player development trade record.
Sweeney reportedly signed a four-year contract with the Magic.