Pelicans Notes: Head Coach, Offseason, Zion, Queen, Draft
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars confirmed that the team will embark on a head coaching search and that in-season replacement James Borrego will be a candidate for the permanent job, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required).
“What makes him a viable candidate is his ability to communicate with the team every day and to do it in a positive way every day,” Dumars said of Borrego, who took over for Willie Green in November. “What James did well this year was never let the building completely collapse. He always tried to keep the team up and positive. That’s exactly what you want to see, especially in a situation where he took over and it could have slid.”
Names like Darvin Ham, Kevin Ollie, and Jamahl Mosley have also been connected to the Pelicans’ head coaching position, but Dumars suggested the team isn’t far enough along in the process to have a list of legitimate candidates yet.
“Some of the stuff you wake up and see in this seat is so far-fetched and not even remotely close to being true. I saw a lot of that this year, if I’m being honest. I saw names pop up in trades. I saw coaches lists,” Dumars said. “We don’t even have a list like that right now. We have got names that we’ve been talking about.
“Sometimes I’m just thinking, ‘Where is that coming from?’ It’s amazing. We are going to go through this process the right way. We are going to figure out what’s best for New Orleans.”
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Rather than citing specific positions or skills the Pelicans will be targeting this offseason, Dumars pointed to a certain mentality that he’ll be focusing on as he and the front office consider roster additions, per Walker. “I would add more toughness to this team,” he said. “We have to be able to compete every night. We cannot get banged around, pushed around. We have to be physical and compete every night. There were some nights we did it, but too many nights we didn’t compete at a high enough level for me. You can’t get past that in this league. We have talent. But if you think you’re just going to roll talent out on an NBA court and that’s all you need to do to win, that’s not going to happen.”
- Dumars told reporters, including Walker, that he doesn’t believe the Pelicans are that far away from being a winning team and that he’d not anticipating a protracted rebuilding process. “We had a tremendous amount of very close games that we should have won,” he said. “When you have that many games where you are right there to win and you don’t know yet how to close out games, that’s different than getting blown out by 20 every night. When you get blown out by 20 every night, I’ve got to look around the room with staff and scouts and say, ‘We are not good enough, we are not talented enough and don’t have enough depth to win here.’ I don’t feel that. I feel that we are close enough. But it takes some work.”
- Asked about whether Zion Williamson and Derik Queen can play alongside one another in the Pelicans’ frontcourt, Dumars – who dismissed the idea of seeking a Williamson trade this offseason – suggested that he’s willing to be patient and give the duo a chance to prove it can succeed. “I always chuckle when people ask, ‘Can they play together?'” the veteran executive said, according to William Guillory of The Athletic. “You’ve got to allow people to grow in this league. I didn’t know if I could fit with (former Pistons guard) Isiah (Thomas) or not. But I knew we had great IQs and we could figure it out. Sometimes, you’ve got to let players figure it out.”
- New Orleans doesn’t control its own first-round pick, having traded it to Atlanta last year in order to draft Queen. However, Dumars expressed confidence in the Pelicans’ ability to acquire a first-rounder this June if they want to, tweets Guillory. Of course, trading into the back half of the first round is far more realistic than getting back into the lottery.
Pelicans’ Dumars: ‘No Intentions’ Of Trading Zion Williamson
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson told reporters on Monday that he hopes to remain in New Orleans going forward. On Tuesday, executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars suggested in his own end-of-season press conference that the former No. 1 overall pick will get his wish.
“We have no intentions of doing that,” Dumars responded when asked about the possibility of trading Williamson this summer (subscriber-only story via Rod Walker of NOLA.com). “We are going into the offseason looking forward to Zion coming back next year and playing great again next year.”
Williamson, who was limited to 30 games in 2024/25 due primarily to hamstring and adductor strains, had a healthier year in ’25/26, making 62 appearances and averaging 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 29.7 minutes per game. It was just the third time in seven NBA seasons that the 25-year-old has been able to play in at least half of New Orleans’ games.
The fact that he avoided major injuries this season and has just two seasons remaining on his five-year, maximum-salary contract should give Williamson’s trade value a bump entering the summer, but it doesn’t sound as if Dumars is eager to pursue a deal.
Obviously, the Pelicans’ head of basketball operations isn’t under oath when he’s speaking to reporters, so there’s nothing to stop him from stating that he plans to keep Williamson and then changing his mind later in the offseason. But it’s worth noting that Dumars gave the former Duke star a similar vote of support early in the 2025 offseason, shutting down the trade rumors surrounding Zion at that time, and he ultimately stuck to his vow that Williamson would open the 2025/26 season with the team.
More trade rumors swirled around Williamson during the season, but he once again stayed put, and Dumars suggested on Tuesday that the Pelicans weren’t the ones initiating the discussions that led to those rumors.
“Those phone calls come in and people ask about a player and two hours later it comes out that you had a conversation about (trading) a player,” Dumars said. “But you left out the most important part. We said no.”
Because he appeared in 61-plus games this season, Williamson’s 2026/27 salary of $42.2MM is at least 80% guaranteed entering the offseason — it would be fully guaranteed if he meets certain weight-related benchmarks or if he remains under contract through July 15, which appears to be a lock. The Pelicans forward, who will be extension-eligible this offseason, will make $44.9MM in 2027/28 and would reach unrestricted free agency in ’28 if he doesn’t sign a new contract before then.
Pelicans Notes: Zion, Bey, Murray, Borrego, Dumars, Offseason
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson saw his name pop up in several trade rumors leading up to the February deadline, but he made it clear at his Monday press conference that he hopes to stay with the team that selected him first overall in the 2019 draft, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press.
“New Orleans is home for me. I don’t say that because I’m sitting in front of these cameras,” said Williamson, who has two seasons left on his maximum-salary contract. “When the offseason hits, a lot of guys leave the city. I live here. … I’ve been here since I was 19.”
While Williamson was pleased he was able to play 62 games this season, he said his play during was 2025/26 was just “OK” and was disappointed the team went just 22-40 when he was in the lineup (26-56 overall), Martel writes. The 25-year-old said he “100%” trusts head of basketball operations Joe Dumars, and hopes to play at least 75 games next season with an eye on making the playoffs.
Williamson plans to talk to Dumars, “other Hall of Famers” and “other championship players” in pursuit of the latter goal, Martel notes.
“I’m looking to take a different approach because it’s frustrating getting up here every year and not being in the playoffs — and I’ll take my responsibility in that. I definitely hold myself accountable,” Williamson said. “So, it’s time to start taking different approaches, gaining what knowledge I can and working on different things. I have to use the resources that I can to reach out and seek the information — seek the knowledge that I need.”
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- When asked about a potential contract extension this summer, forward Saddiq Bey suggested he’s interested in staying with New Orleans long term, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. “I want to be here. The people in my circle know I want to be here as long as possible,” said Bey. The 27-year-old is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $6.44MM in 2026/27.
- Veteran guard Dejounte Murray refuted speculation that he returned to action this season just to rebuild his trade value, per Guillory (Twitter link). Murray tore his Achilles tendon on January 31, 2025, and made his season debut on February 24 of this year. The former All-Star said he hopes to stay with the Pelicans and is committed to the team, Guillory adds.
- Interim head coach James Borrego said Monday that he hadn’t spoken to Dumars about becoming the permanent coach, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. New Orleans is reportedly conducting a coaching search, with Borrego among the candidates for the job. “We’ve just been focusing on the day in and the task and the season,” Borrego said. “We didn’t get into the weeds of what’s next and what’s coming. We have had an initial conversation more on the reflection of the season and just looking back at what did we do well and what are some areas of improvement. Those conversations have started. That’s been our initial conversation. Where it goes from there we will see.” Dumars will address the media Tuesday, per Walker.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the Pelicans’ offseason (YouTube link), noting that the team doesn’t control a 2026 first-round pick after trading its own last year to move up and acquire Derik Queen. Marks says he’d consider extending Bey, though he wouldn’t offer him the full amount he’s eligible for (a projected $93MM over four years). Marks also expects the Pelicans to decline their $8MM team option on Kevon Looney for next season due to their financial situation, and says he’d be surprised if the front office runs back the same roster in ’26/27.
Pelicans Opening Coaching Search, Borrego Among Candidates
The Pelicans are searching for a new permanent head coach and the process will include James Borrego, who spent most of 2025/26 as the team’s interim head coach, report Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
The news doesn’t come as a major surprise, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported that the Pelicans had several other candidates in mind aside from Borrego, including Darvin Ham and former Nets coach Kevin Ollie. Scotto added that current Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has “several admirers” in New Orleans and could be a top candidate for the job if he’s let go by Orlando.
Fischer also reported last week that the Pelicans were mulling opening up a coaching search, citing Mosley, Borrego and Ham as possible candidates.
The Pelicans had a disappointing first season under the new front office regime, which is led by head of basketball operations Joe Dumars and general manager Troy Weaver. New Orleans fired former head coach Willie Green after the team got off to a 2-10 start, then went 24-46 under Borrego to finish out the season.
New Orleans’ 26-56 record was the third-worst win-loss percentage (.317) in franchise history, slightly ahead of 2024/25’s mark of 21-61. Former top executive David Griffin was fired after that campaign.
After dealing with a series of prolonged injury absences in ’24/25, the Pelicans had better luck on that front this season, with Zion Williamson (62 games), Trey Murphy III (66) and Herbert Jones (56) all playing far more often than they did a year ago (30, 53, and 20 appearances, respectively). The team also received solid contributions from lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who only missed one combined game, and trade acquisition Saddiq Bey.
However, Jordan Poole — who was acquired from Washington along with Bey — struggled mightily in his first season with the Pelicans, ’24/25 All-Rookie selection Yves Missi saw his minutes reduced in year two (he was drafted by Griffin), and Dejounte Murray was limited to just 14 appearances after tearing his Achilles tendon in January 2025.
Borrego, 48, was previously the Hornets’ head coach for four seasons (from 2018-22). He was New Orleans’ associate head coach for a little over a year prior to taking over for Green. Borrego has compiled a 172-222 (.429) win-loss record as an NBA head coach and is also believed to be on the Bucks’ radar.
Numerous Teams Considering Coaching Changes
The NBA’s coaching carousel has already started spinning with Doc Rivers‘ decision to step down from the Bucks, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype suggests it could be an active offseason throughout the league on that front.
Milwaukee has a potential replacement on hand in lead assistant Darvin Ham, but sources tell Scotto the Pelicans could also have interest in Ham if they decide not to retain interim head coach James Borrego, echoing recent reporting from Jake Fischer.
Former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins may be the top name on the market and is expected to draw interest from the Bucks, Scotto confirms. Jenkins previously served as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee.
Scotto states that Borrego could also emerge as a candidate for the Bucks if New Orleans decides to move on, noting that he interviewed with the organization before it hired Adrian Griffin in 2023.
Scotto shares more coaching and front office rumors from around the NBA:
- The Bulls are hoping to hold onto coach Billy Donovan after upending their front office last week. Scotto believes Donovan may have some interest in taking over the Magic if they decide to fire Jamahl Mosley, pointing out that Orlando hired Donovan in 2007 before he changed his mind a few days later and decided to remain at Florida. Scotto cites Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd as a potential front office addition in Chicago, noting that Lloyd began his career with the Bulls. He also points to CAA’s Austin Brown as a possibility if the organization wants to make a run at one of the top agents in the business.
- Jenkins and Tom Thibodeau could also be options for the Magic if they make a coaching move, according to Scotto. Borrego, a former assistant in Orlando, may emerge as another possibility. Sources tell Scotto that Michael Malone had been considered throughout the league as a potential candidate for the Magic before he accepted a job with North Carolina.
- The Pelicans will consider keeping Borrego, but sources tell Scotto that Ham and Kevin Ollie will also be in the mix, while Mosley has “several admirers” in New Orleans and could be among the leading candidates for the position if he becomes available. Scotto also points out that Ham worked with Pelicans executive vice president of basketball 0perations Joe Dumars for two years in Detroit, while Ollie interviewed for the head coaching job when New Orleans general manager Troy Weaver was running the Pistons.
- Steve Kerr and the Warriors will discuss their future this summer, Scotto hears. Stephen Curry remains a huge advocate for Kerr and wants them to finish their careers together, but Kerr is the league’s highest-paid coach and there are concerns about burn-out after a difficult season.
- Interim head coach Tiago Splitter will be a candidate to remain with the Trail Blazers after leading the team to the eighth seed in the West, but several top assistant coaches throughout the league and some college coaches will also be considered, sources tell Scotto.
- Wizards coach Brian Keefe still has strong support from his front office, but Scotto’s sources say his future is “undecided” as the organization hopes to transform into a playoff contender next season.
- The Hawks‘ late-season surge could result in an extension for coach Quin Snyder, according to Scotto.
Ten Postseason Seeds Up For Grabs On Final Day Of Regular Season
While we’ve known which 20 NBA teams will be competing in the 2025/26 postseason for some time, 10 seeds are still in flux entering April 12, the final day of the 2025/26 regular season. Most importantly, three Eastern Conference teams are still vying for the final guaranteed playoff spot ahead of Sunday’s slate of games, which will see all 30 teams take the floor.
Here are the current playoff and play-in standings in both conferences, as well as where each team could finish, per the league (Twitter links).
Eastern Conference:
- Detroit Pistons (59-22)
- Boston Celtics (55-26)
- New York Knicks (53-28)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30)
- Atlanta Hawks (46-35) — fifth or sixth
- Toronto Raptors (45-36) — fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth
- Orlando Magic (45-36) — sixth, seventh or eighth
- Philadelphia 76ers (44-37) — sixth, seventh or eighth
- Charlotte Hornets (43-38) — ninth or 10th
- Miami Heat (42-39) — ninth or 10th
Western Conference:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (64-17)
- San Antonio Spurs (62-19)
- Denver Nuggets (53-28) — third or fourth
- Los Angeles Lakers (52-29) — third or fourth
- Houston Rockets (51-30)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33)
- Phoenix Suns (44-37)
- Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) — eighth or ninth
- Los Angeles Clippers (41-40) — eighth or ninth
- Golden State Warriors (37-44)
Notes: Teams in bold are locked in to their current seeds. A top-six seed ensures a guaranteed playoff spot, while the Nos. 7-10 teams will compete in the play-in tournament to determine the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference.
The most critical matchup Sunday is Brooklyn at Toronto. If the Raptors win, they can finish no worse than sixth place, securing the final guaranteed playoff berth.
The Hawks have ruled out most of their top players ahead of Sunday’s game at the Heat after securing a guaranteed playoff spot on Friday, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. That matters for Miami, because if they beat Atlanta and the Hornets lose at New York, the Heat would move ahead of Charlotte due to a head-to-head tiebreaker. That said, the Knicks will be playing without four of their five starters tonight, and if the Hornets win, they stay at No. 9.
It would be shocking if the Raptors don’t win Sunday, since the tanking Nets have already ruled out nine players (a 10th is doubtful) and have an incentive to lose the game. We’ll get more into that shortly.
Still, if the Raptors do lose Sunday’s game, it opens the door for the Magic or Sixers to move up to No. 6. A Raptors loss combined with a Magic win at Boston — the Celtics are likely to be without their top-seven rotation members — would see Orlando earn the guaranteed playoff berth. The 76ers, who face Milwaukee, need to win and need Toronto and Orlando to lose to move up two spots.
If the Hawks, Raptors, Magic and Sixers all win, they will finish where they currently are in the standings.
In the West, the scenarios are more straightforward. If the Nuggets win at San Antonio, they stay at No. 3. If they lose and the Lakers beat the Jazz, Denver and Los Angeles will switch places in the standings.
The Trail Blazers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Clippers, so if they beat Sacramento tonight they will finish No. 8. The Clippers could move up if they beat Golden State and Portland loses to the Kings.
Lottery odds and traded draft picks
At the other end of the standings, the Wizards (17-64) have clinched the worst record in the league and thus have the top draft-lottery floor, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Washington has a 52.1% chance at landing a top-four pick in the 2026 draft lottery and 47.9% odds at No. 5, which is the worst selection the team can end up with.
The Pacers (19-62) and Nets (20-61) are also guaranteed to finish with bottom-three records and will have identical 52.1% odds at moving into the top four, including a 14.0% chance at No. 1 overall. If the Nets lose this evening and the Pacers beat Detroit, the two teams would tie and a coin flip would determine which team has the second-best lottery floor. The winner of the coin flip can finish no worse than sixth in the draft lottery, while the loser can finish no worse than seventh.
The Clippers will be hoping the Pacers lose tonight, since Indiana will send its 2026 first-round pick to L.A. if it lands outside the top four. The Pacers will retain the pick if it stays in its protected range (top four).
Several other lottery situations are still in flux entering Sunday. The Jazz and Kings are currently tied for the fourth-worst record (22-59), the Grizzlies and Mavericks are tied for the sixth-worst record (25-56), and the Pelicans (26-55) have a chance at making the latter situation a three-way tie. The Hawks will be hoping the Pelicans lose and Grizzlies and Mavericks win, since they control the better of New Orleans’ or Milwaukee’s first-rounders.
Utah will send its first-round pick to the Thunder if it’s not in the top eight. But even if the Jazz finish with the NBA’s fifth-worst record (or finish tied for the fourth-worst record and lose a coin flip), the odds of their pick landing at No. 9 would be minuscule (0.6%).
There’s a chance the Bulls (31-50) and Bucks (32-49) could have a coin flip for the ninth and tenth spots. It would require Chicago to win at Dallas and Milwaukee to lose at Philadelphia.
The four other lottery teams will be the four clubs that are eliminated in the play-in tournament.
Pelicans Notes: Fears, Jordan, Peavy, Davis
When he takes the court Sunday against Minnesota, Jeremiah Fears will become the first rookie in Pelicans history to appear in all 82 games, writes Rod Walker of NOLA (subscription required). The seventh pick in last year’s draft prides himself on durability and said he hasn’t missed a game since he broke his thumb as a high school freshman.
“Being able to play all 82 games is big time,” Fears said. “Not everybody gets the opportunity to play all 82 games. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity. I feel like I’ve made the most of the minutes I get when I go out there.”
Fears has been one of the bright spots in a lost season for New Orleans. He’s averaging 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 25.6 minutes per game and set a franchise rookie record by scoring 40 points in Tuesday’s win over Utah. With increased playing time, his scoring average has risen to 28.8 PPG over the past five games.
Fears credits his recovery process with helping him stay on the court.
“That helps in being able to play all 82 games,” he said. “Focus on your recovery and just continue to stay focused. I’m dedicated to the recovery and the work on and off the court. The hot and the cold tub have been huge for me. I just rely on those things to help me get my body for each and every day.”
There’s more from New Orleans:
- DeAndre Jordan‘s impact on the team has been far greater than his on-court statistics, Walker states in a separate story. The 38-year-old center only appeared in 12 games, but he had plenty of advice to share with his much younger teammates from his 18 NBA seasons. “To see the growth of our young team, DeAndre had a massive impact on that,” interim head coach James Borrego said. “He brought professionalism every day. A voice every day. A respect for every drill, every practice and every moment together.” Jordan said he’s not sure how much longer he’ll play and is taking his career one year at a time.
- Like most teams, the Pelicans are resting their stars as the season winds down, which creates opportunities for young players like Micah Peavy, Walker adds in another piece. The rookie shooting guard delivered 20 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals on Tuesday as he made his second start of the season. “It’s just the experience,” he said. “Take these games super serious, because during the summer, we’re only going to be able to play pick-up games. It’s not the same. Take it seriously and get everything out of it.”
- Appearing this week on Draymond Green‘s podcast, Anthony Davis reflects on the circumstances that led him to demand a trade out of New Orleans in 2019, relays Rashad Milligan of NOLA. He was motivated to move to another franchise where he could compete for championships and is still upset about the $50K fine he received for making a public trade request. “When a team is tired of a player, they can trade him with no consequence,” Davis said. “Right? But once a player is like, ‘I want to do what’s best for me, because I want to compete for championships and win.’ It’s not even about the money. New Orleans offered me a crazy deal at the time. It’s not even about the money; I genuinely want to win. So now, because I want to win, I’m considered a villain to this team and to this fanbase. To this day, I still go back, and they still boo me.”
Southwest Notes: Edey, Prosper, Kyrie, Fears, Rockets
Speaking to reporters earlier this week for the first time since December, Grizzlies center Zach Edey said he was pleased with how he performed in his 11 games this season, suggesting he “showed who I can be,” per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Edey was excellent in his limited appearances, averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in just 25.8 minutes per contest and leading the team to a 7-4 record, though he acknowledged that his health issues made it feel like a “wasted” season.
“Every game it kind of got a little worse,” he said of the left ankle injury that eventually required a second surgery following the initial repair last June. “My first few games, I didn’t feel it at all. Then I may have pushed it too much — played too many minutes or whatever it was. Toward the end of that stretch, it started giving me problems.”
In addition to getting a second surgery on his left ankle, Edey also underwent a procedure on his left elbow in March. However, the big man downplayed the elbow issue, confirming that it wasn’t a new injury.
“Just a little clean-up,” Edey said. “I’ve had some problems with my elbow since middle school. I played through it for a while. I figured I might as well just get it cleaned up while I have this boot on my foot.”
Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (right knee surgery), guard Jaylen Wells (right big toe surgery), and Scotty Pippen Jr. (right big toe surgery) also spoke this week about their respective injury recoveries, as Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays.
Aldama indicated he expects to be fully recovered by mid-summer; Wells said he should be good to go by late June; and Pippen projected a three-month recovery timeline following his mid-March surgery. In other words, all three players expect to be ready for training camp in the fall.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Waived after two seasons in Dallas, former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper has had a breakout year with the Grizzlies (10.0 PPG on .549/.405/.754 shooting). Speaking to Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Prosper says it was important for him to find his “niche” and make sure he excels in that area. “For me, it was focusing on my ability to guard multiple positions and be versatile on both sides of the ball,” the former Marquette forward said. “Offensively, you can put me as a three, four, five. And defensively, I can guard one through five. So that’s been my calling card. Now you can add to your game after that. Add to your shooting, add to your bag, but first you have to do what your calling card and do that and be consistent and stay poised the whole way through the season.”
- Kyrie Irving hasn’t played at all in the past year while recovering from a torn ACL, but the Mavericks have appreciated how his calm, level-headed presence and locker-room leadership have helped the team navigate a turbulent season, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “He sees when guys are in their heads,” big man Daniel Gafford said. “He’s taking all of his experience, all of his game knowledge and he’s giving it to the younger generation.” Irving has a guaranteed $39.5MM contract for 2026/27 with a $42.4MM player option for ’27/28.
- While it hasn’t been a successful season overall for the Pelicans, the development of their rookies has been a silver lining. Jeremiah Fears provided a reminder of that in the team’s home finale on Tuesday, setting a new career high and a new franchise rookie record by scoring 40 points in a victory over Utah, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). “I’m really just proud of his growth,” interim head coach James Borrego said. “From training camp to where he’s at today, he’s taken a massive step. This franchise is in a really good place because of players like him. Fantastic.”
- The Rockets have a $180MM renovation plan for Toyota Center in the works, according to Houston mayor John Whitmire, who said on Wednesday that the state is expected to contribute $95MM to the project, with Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta funding the rest. Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) has the details.
Coaching Rumors: Jenkins, Wizards, Mosley, Pelicans, Kerr, More
There wasn’t a whole lot of NBA head coaching turnover last spring, when several teams retained coaches who had previously had interim tags and only the Suns and Knicks made new hires. There haven’t been many changes since then either, with only New Orleans having made an in-season change, though Portland was also forced to elevate assistant Tiago Splitter after Chauncey Billups was arrested in October.
The expectation is that a relatively quiet 12 months on the coaching market could result in an eventful few weeks once the regular season ends, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
“There’s going to be eight to 12 (coaching changes),” one source predicted to Fischer.
With several head coaching jobs expected to open up this spring, Fischer identifies a few candidates to monitor for those openings, naming current assistants Sean Sweeney (Spurs), Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Dave Bliss (Thunder), Chris Quinn (Heat), Royal Ivey (Rockets), and Luke Walton (Pistons).
Here are several more coaching-related rumors from Fischer:
- Confirming that Taylor Jenkins is a potential target to watch for the Bucks if they part ways with Doc Rivers, Fischer says there have been “whispers for months” that the Wizards would also have interest in Jenkins if they decide to move on from Brian Keefe. It’s unclear at this point if Washington intends to bring back Keefe for another season as the team aims to take a step toward contention in 2026/27. “It’s very difficult for any young coach to survive a years-long rebuild and (then) oversee a dramatic cultural shift of losing to competing,” one general manager told The Stein Line.
- If the Magic let go of Jamahl Mosley, he’s expected to draw interest from New Orleans, according to Fischer, who says Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars is a fan. James Borrego is also expected to receive consideration for the permanent job in New Orleans, Fischer notes, adding that Bucks assistant Darvin Ham is another candidate to watch if the team conducts a full-fledged search.
- While it’s too early to say what will happen with Steve Kerr, Fischer has heard that the Warriors would ideally like to sign the veteran coach for more than a single season if he decides to return, since team officials would prefer to avoid a “Last Dance scenario,” if possible. Stephen Curry‘s current contract expires in 2027, as does Jimmy Butler‘s. Draymond Green‘s would too if he exercises his 2026/27 player option.
- The Kings are still evaluating Doug Christie‘s performance and are taking into account that injuries decimated his roster this season, Fischer writes. Christie has one more guaranteed year left on his contract (with a 2027/28 team option) and it’s not impossible that he’ll return for next season, Fischer adds.
- Although the Trail Blazers discussed a potential extension for Splitter at one point, per Fischer, the acting head coach’s future is up in the air with new owner Tom Dundon taking over the franchise. Dundon has talked about evaluating every aspect of the organization. That includes its head coach and its front office, according to Fischer, who suggests that changes in the basketball operations department are possible. For what it’s worth, Dundon said recently that general manager Joe Cronin’s job status is “solid.”
Southwest Notes: Wemby, Champagnie, Pels, Rockets, Davison
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama missed last Thursday’s win at the Clippers with a right ankle injury that has been bothering him for multiple weeks, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.
“That ankle is still angry at him,” head coach Mitch Johnson said.
Despite the discomfort, the two-time All-Star big man has been putting up spectacular statistics lately, McDonald notes, and Johnson suggested Wembanyama was held out Thursday for precautionary reasons — it was the second night of a back-to-back.
Wembanyama, 22, needs to play in two of San Antonio’s final four regular season games to qualify for major postseason awards. He’s only at 62 appearances right now, but the NBA Cup final counts toward the 65-game minimum requirement even though the statistics from that game aren’t officially recorded.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Julian Champagnie set the Spurs‘ single-season record for three-pointers made in Saturday’s overtime loss in Denver, per McDonald. The fourth-year small forward converted six threes during the game, moving him up to 192 on the season, one past Danny Green, who set the previous record in 2014/15. “Obviously I put the work in and I’m confident in my own abilities,” the 24-year-old Champagnie said, “but any record you get to break in this league is a blessing.”
- The Pelicans aren’t trying to lose games because they don’t control their first-round pick, but they haven’t had any success trying to win games lately either, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com. New Orleans blew a 17-point lead during Friday’s loss at Sacramento, then followed that up with a four-point home loss to Orlando. The Pelicans are riding an eight-game losing streak with three games left on their schedule.
- Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has been rotating between Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard as the fifth starter the past couple weeks. William Guillory of The Athletic examines which player makes sense to stick in the starting unit, suggesting that Eason gives the team a higher floor while Sheppard provides a higher ceiling. “Me and Tari have talked to each other, and neither one of us care who starts,” Sheppard said. “It doesn’t matter to us. We just want to win.” Who finishes the game is ultimately more important than who starts, Guillory observes, but this could also be an important “crossroads” for both Houston and Sheppard, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
- Fourth-year guard JD Davison has reached the 50-game active limit and won’t be able to suit up for the Rockets‘ final four regular season games unless he’s promoted to a standard contract, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Davison, last season’s G League MVP as a member of the Celtics, is currently on a two-way contract. The Rockets have also reached their under-15 limit, Smith adds, so unless they add a 15th player, their other two-way players can’t be active for the rest of the season either.