The NBA offseason is in full swing for 27 of the 30 teams around the league, as the New York Knicks patiently wait in the NBA Finals for the winner between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Around the NBA, plenty of teams are in the midst of pivotal coaching searches, which is what today’s intel will outline.
A total of six teams have been going through the coaching process this offseason. Of those six teams, the Milwaukee Bucks have already found their next head coach in Taylor Jenkins, and the New Orleans Pelicans have recently hired former Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley.
As a result, that leaves the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Magic as the four teams actively interviewing and figuring out who they want to hire as their next coach before the NBA Draft on June 23.
Not to mention, there are also teams that face questions about their current coaches, as well as those that made, or have yet to make, key front office decisions. Masai Ujiri was just hired as the newest leader in the Mavs’ front office, and after firing Jason Kidd, whom will he choose to lead Cooper Flagg and Dallas’ future?
Could one job opening have a domino effect on others around the league, pertaining to one candidate being in the running for multiple jobs? And of course, will the Trail Blazers do the right thing and pay Tiago Splitter after his masterful job as the interim head coach?
All of this and more in today’s coaching carousel intel story, starting with what the Bulls’ next steps are after parting ways with Billy Donovan and hiring Bryson Graham as their new VP of basketball operations.
Latest on Bulls’ coaching search
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If we know one thing about the Bulls and new executive Bryson Graham, it’s that this organization will be aggressive when it comes to taking a major step toward winning right now. Although the Bulls are a rebuilding organization and far from being anything special in the East, there is plenty of room for growth this offseason.
And that all starts with finding the right, determined, strong-willed developmental head coach who can relate to the youth movement in Chicago and instill the same level of intensity every day that Graham will have leading this front office.
Graham and the Bulls have already put together a very impressive list of candidates featuring some of the best assistants around the league. As recently reported on ClutchPoints earlier this week, confirmed candidates for the Bulls’ head coaching vacancy include Sean Sweeney (San Antonio Spurs), Chris Quinn (Miami Heat), Micah Nori (Minnesota Timberwolves), Dave Bliss (Oklahoma City Thunder), and Tiago Splitter (Portland Trail Blazers).
While Splitter is drawing attention by many teams with head coaching vacancies around the league, he has remained in contact with the Blazers during their process. Until Portland decides differently, he will be the top coaching candidate for the Blazers.
In addition to the names above confirmed by ClutchPoints to be involved with the Bulls’ process, Marc J. Spears of Andscape recently reported that Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant will interview for the job as well.
Early indications from Chicago point in the direction of Sweeney and Quinn being the franchise’s front runners for the head coaching role.
Both lead assistants have been known for their player development skills through the years, and both have been frequently mentioned as the next in line to become first-time head coaches around the league. Quinn has been with the Miami Heat, working under Erik Spoelstra since 2014, and he’s been instrumental in the organization’s success.
Years ago, former Heat captain Udonis Haslem said Quinn’s voice resonates just as much as Spoelstra’s with the team.
“When you listen to Quinny, you’re hearing Spo,” Haslem said, via the Miami Herald. “It’s the same message. If anybody has an opportunity to step into the next level sooner than later, it would be Quinny.”
After working with the Dallas Mavericks under Jason Kidd since 2021, Sweeney left Dallas to join the Spurs last summer. Working alongside head coach Mitch Johnson, Sweeney has been instrumental in San Antonio’s No. 3-ranked defense all season. Not to mention, he’s also had a hand in helping develop some of the team’s young talents in Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant.
Sources say the Bulls will advance to the next stages of interviews and their hiring process next week, with the intention of putting together a firm list of finalists. Word from Chicago is that the Bulls would like to lock in their next head coach by the second week of June.
Sweeney is certainly a name at the top of the Bulls’ list, but he has also been named a top target for other teams as well, specifically the Orlando Magic.
Magic coaching search linked to Chicago?
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Once Billy Donovan and the Bulls parted ways, many immediately began linking him to the Orlando Magic, who were still in the playoffs with Jamahl Mosley as their head coach. Donovan being the early favorite to replace Mosley made a lot of sense, especially since the veteran coach had previously drawn interest from the Magic and won two national championships at Florida.
His proven track record with stars around the league, as well as his ability to come in right away and help a team win, is why Donovan emerged as the early favorite in Orlando.
However, sources say the Magic have not moved forward with Donovan other than formally speaking with him about their head coaching vacancy. No offer has been made to the former Bulls coach, and the Magic continue to look at other options, including Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney.
With several other teams, including the Bulls, targeting Sweeney, the belief around the NBA is that Orlando prefers the Spurs’ assistant over any other candidate. That would explain why this process has dragged on for the Magic with little information.
Sweeney is still in the midst of the playoffs with the Spurs, which has held up several coaching searches around the league. It is very possible that the Magic and Bulls could get into a bidding war with one another over Sweeney since he is considered a top name for both franchises.
This could ultimately come down to what Sweeney wants and where he sees the best long-term future since he will very likely be offered both jobs, if he already hasn’t been.
Should the Magic be unable to hire Sweeney, does that mean they would simply pivot to Donovan?
It is possible Donovan is Orlando’s back-up plan, but one executive who spoke with ClutchPoints also pointed in the direction of Jason Kidd being a potential dark horse for the Magic job.
Kidd, who parted ways with the Mavericks last week, was a candidate for the Magic job in 2021 before he decided to go to Dallas. Before landing on Mosley to take over on the sidelines, Orlando was aggressive in trying to convince Kidd to become their next head coach.
Could the Magic once again view Kidd as a top choice for their head coaching vacancy?
It certainly feels like Sweeney is their top choice right now, but if he goes to Chicago or somewhere else, the Magic may very well pivot to either Donovan or Kidd.
Will Tiago Splitter return to Portland?
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Since their loss in the first round of the playoffs against the Spurs, all the talk surrounding the Portland Trail Blazers has revolved around new owner Tom Dundon making questionable decisions and cutting costs. In the process of doing so, tensions between interim head coach Tiago Splitter and the organization formed due to the organization’s offer being much lower than what was expected, sources said.
Splitter, who led the team to a 42-40 record in the aftermath of Chauncey Billups being arrested by the FBI and subsequently fired at the start of the 2025-26 season, could not have done a better job in his position. That is why many around the league believed it would be a forgone conclusion that he would return as the coach, including several players in Portland.
But cost-saving measures are in place by Dundon, which has led to a lot of uncertainty regarding Splitter’s future with the Trail Blazers. The team has also conducted a very wide coaching search, which has included collegiate coaches, former head coaches, and current assistants around the league, sources said.
With this said, multiple current collegiate coaches declined the opportunity to interview in Portland, with sources saying at least two coaches viewed the situation as “undesirable” under new leadership.
Many coaching candidates have already been reported during the Blazers’ search outside of Splitter. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that former NBA player and current Denver Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley and Houston Rockets assistant Ben Sullivan were in the mix for Portland, along with Atlanta Hawks assistant Bryan Bailey, who interviewed for the position.
Local Portland media have suggested ex-Blazers coach and recent Golden State Warriors assistant Terry Stotts is interested in the position, and Los Angeles Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean was also named a potential candidate. Of course, familiar names like Nori and Sweeney have also popped up in rumors about what Portland will do.
Nobody around the NBA really knows what to expect in the Blazers’ coaching search simply because there is no telling how much money Dundon is willing to pay his new head coach. The sensible thing would be to hire Splitter since he did a fantastic job and has received the backing of the locker room, but there is still no clarity on whether he remains the favorite in Portland.
Masai Ujiri, Mavs still in early stages of coaching search
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After deciding to part ways with Jason Kidd, two names immediately emerged, for obvious reasons, in Dallas: former Mavs assistant Sean Sweeney and current Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, as reported by ClutchPoints.
Since then, it has become a lot clearer that neither coach appears to be in the running for the Mavs. Sweeney is receiving offers from other teams he appears to be more interested in, and sources have told ClutchPoints that Scheyer is not interested whatsoever in leaving Duke.
Despite hearing his name come up in early coaching talk around the NBA this offseason, Scheyer is “fully locked in” with the Blue Devils, the source said.
So, what does Ujiri have up his sleeve in Dallas?
While he was with the Toronto Raptors, Ujiri was never afraid to target assistant coaches or first-time head coaches, as he did with Nick Nurse and Darko Rajakovic. Speaking of Nurse, some have mentioned his name as an intriguing candidate in Dallas, but the Philadelphia 76ers are not prepared to grant the Mavs permission to speak with their head coach should they reach out, sources said.
If Ujiri looks at assistants around the league and first-time coaching candidates, names like Micah Nori and Jared Dudley would make sense here for Dallas.
Although he would be a major long shot at this point, Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley would obviously be the home-run hire and the sleeper name nobody is really talking about. It is fun to think about Hurley possibly coaching Cooper Flagg, but again, it’s hard to envision him leaving.
Nori does have a small connection with Ujiri dating back to 2013, when they were both with the Raptors.
As for coaches with experience who have been mentioned around the league for Dallas, Frank Vogel, Donovan, and Splitter all stand out.
Vogel, who won a championship coaching the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Bubble, was a lead assistant on Kidd’s staff this past year. With him already being familiar with Flagg and the team, plus his experience coaching many different teams, Vogel would make the most sense for the Mavs right now.
Another interesting caveat to throw at the Mavs’ coaching search is that they just hired Mike Schmitz as their general manager from the Trail Blazers. Could that connection with Splitter lure him to Dallas?
Right now, league personnel are simply trying to connect the dots with the Mavs and where they could go with their coaching search. There is no clarity on if there is a “leader in the clubhouse” per se, but the expectation is that the Mavs will have a new head coach before the NBA Draft based on Ujiri’s history with hiring coaches in the offseason.
Favorite emerges to lead 76ers’ front office
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Multiple league sources have told ClutchPoints that current Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey is gaining serious momentum to become the leader of the Philadelphia 76ers front office. As reported on Tuesday, Gansey is considered one of the front runners for the position after spending over a decade in Cleveland with their G League organization, as well as working alongside executive Koby Altman in the NBA.
After being very successful with the Canton Charge, Gansey was promoted to assistant general manager of the Cavs under Altman, who was the GM at the time, in 2017. From there, he was promoted to general manager in 2022 after Altman was promoted to the team’s president of basketball operations.
Gansey is heavily respected around the league for his keen eye in scouting, as well as pinpointing developmental talent. This was one of the main factors that led him to be internally promoted in Cleveland from the G League to the NBA.
Bob Myers, former Golden State Warriors executive and current President of Sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, is conducting the search for the team’s new leading executive after firing Daryl Morey.
If Gansey is offered the job and becomes the new head of the Sixers’ front office, there is reason to believe that current assistant general manager Jameer Nelson could be promoted to the team’s full-time acting GM. Nelson was not let go by the organization and is still viewed as an internal candidate for promotion.
Other coaching chatter around NBA
Atlanta Hawks: After locking in Onsi Saleh’s future and promoting him from general manager to team president, the Atlanta Hawks’ next order of business is securing the future of head coach Quin Snyder. The Hawks signed Snyder to a five-year deal in 2023, and the organization will engage in conversations with the veteran coach about an extension, sources said. Talks about Snyder possibly getting an extension this offseason were first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Saleh and Snyder have a very strong relationship with one another, and the Hawks’ coach has been the perfect fit in Atlanta for this young team on the rise. Snyder is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Golden State Warriors: Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse, two lead assistants under head coach Steve Kerr, will not be returning to the organization, as reported by ClutchPoints on May 14. With Kerr back, the Golden State Warriors are making some changes to their support staff, and former New Orleans Pelicans coach Willie Green is widely viewed around the league as a lead candidate to replace Stotts or Stackhouse.
It is worth mentioning that Green previously worked under Kerr with the Warriors from 2016 to 2019, winning two championships with the team on the sidelines. Veteran coach Tom Thibodeau has also been a name whispered in league circles as a candidate for Kerr’s bench, but it’s hard to see Thibs taking anything but a head coaching role. Then again, Kerr did convince Stotts to join the team previously, so who knows?
Washington Wizards: The Washington Wizards envision taking a major step forward during the 2026-27 season, especially now that they have the No. 1 overall pick and will likely be adding AJ Dybantsa through the draft. With Dybantsa, Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, and other dynamic talents, there is a clear path forward for the Wizards.
That is why head coach Brian Keefe, who has been strongly supported by GM Will Dawkins, will face some pressure entering the new year. Keefe, who took over during the 2023-24 season for Wes Unseld Jr. and went 8-31, has posted a 35-129 record with the Wizards since the start of the 2024-25 season.
Although this doesn’t look impressive by any means, the Wizards have been pleased with Keefe and his staff when it comes to player development and building a foundation for the Wizards. But after making big trades this past year and now bringing in a top prospect via the draft, it is time for the Wizards to take that next step as a franchise. The 2026-27 season will prove whether Keefe is the right person to lead the future of the organization.
The NBA offseason is in full swing for 27 of the 30 teams around the league, as the New York Knicks patiently wait in the NBA Finals for the winner between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Around the NBA, plenty of teams are in the midst of pivotal coaching searches, which is what today’s intel will outline.