The NBA coaching carousel continues to spin, and after the New Orleans Pelicans dismissed Willie Green over the weekend — just two years removed from being in the running for Coach of the Year — oddsmakers are already focused on who could be the league’s next coaching casualty. According to BetOnline.ag, the current frontrunner is Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue.
Lue tops the betting board at 2/1 odds to be the next NBA coach fired. The Clippers entered this season with playoff expectations with a roster featuring Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Bradley Beal, Ivica Zubac, John Collins and Chris Paul. Instead, inconsistency, injuries and a 4-10 start have fueled speculation about Lue’s future as pressure mounts on the franchise to produce a deep playoff run before key contracts expire.
Jamahl Mosley, who opened the season among the favorites to win Coach of the Year after Orlando’s strong campaign last year, now finds himself second in the betting at 5/2 odds. Washington’s Brian Keefe (3/1) and Brooklyn’s Jordi Fernández (4/1) round out the top four.
The list features a mix of rebuilding coaches, first-time head coaches and veterans who have faced recent turbulence. Among the more notable names further down the odds board: Minnesota’s Chris Finch (8/1), Utah’s Will Hardy (10/1), Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd (12/1) and Hawks coach Quin Snyder (16/1). Former Clippers coach Doc Rivers — now with the Milwaukee Bucks — sits near the bottom at 33/1.
With coaching turnover trending higher across the league and front offices becoming increasingly impatient, the race to avoid the hot seat may only intensify as the season progresses. For now, Lue holds the dubious distinction of being the betting favorite — a position no coach wants but often comes with the territory in a win-now NBA landscape.