NBA coaching carousel: Pros, cons, what's next for every open job

Tuesday saw a third head coaching job come open when the second-most stunning move of the season -- behind only theLuka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers-- happened when theDenver Nuggetsmoved on from Michael Malone, along with general manager Calvin Booth, with less than a week to go in the regular season.

The move creates not just another job opening but one that will be desirable to any coach on the market, thanks to its high-end talent available. And that's what makes the decision to move on from Malone, seemingly with no warning, all the more surprising.

The decision came less than two weeks after the Memphis Grizzlies fired longtime coach Taylor Jenkins, while Sacramentobecame the first franchise to fire its coach when the Kingsdismissed Mike Brown amid a losing streak in late December.

Will more jobs open over the next several weeks? Last season, seven teams changed coaches, including three -- theCleveland Cavaliers, Lakers and Phoenix Suns-- that did so after making the playoffs.

Here's our annual look at the NBA's coaching carousel, with the pros and cons of each vacancy and who could fill them:

• 2024-25 record: 47-32 (No. 4 in West)


• Previous coach: Michael Malone (fired Tuesday; assistant David Adelman takes over on interim basis)


• Lead executive:None (GM Calvin Booth, promoted in 2020, was also let go)

Positive: Championship-level talent

These kinds of jobs rarely come available.Nikola Jokic might lose out to Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderfor this season's Most Valuable Player award, but he's nearly universally seen as the best player on the planet.Jamal Murray is an elite pick-and-roll partner and,after struggling in the playoffs, is back to playing at a high level -- over the summer with Team Canada and at the start of this season. Aaron Gordon is a versatile defender who fits perfectly next to Jokic at both ends, and Christian Braunhas come on and had a terrific season, putting him into Most Improved Player consideration.

While the Western Conference is deep with contenders, Denver still arguably was set to enter the playoffs as a favorite behindOklahoma Citybefore Tuesday's shocking news of Malone's dismissal after 10 years and unparalleled success with the Nuggets. Whoever walks into this job will believe they can win a championship immediately.

Negatives: Limited financial and roster flexibility

Denver has never been known to open the checkbook to pay for coaches and executives, but that's a secondary concern to the long-term constraints on trying to keep this team at a championship level. Like most longtime championship contenders, this is a franchise that has traded away a lot of draft picks and is locked in on long-term contracts. The good part about that is the team's core players are all under contract for at least a couple more years. The bad? The roster has few means to improve and might not be good enough to get where Denver wants to go now.

Who could get the job?

Adelman, son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman, will get a chance to have the job on an interim basis, and, if he wins in the postseason, certainly could get it on a long-term basis. But with a job this appealing on the table, there will likely be a long line of coaches interested, and Denver should have its pick of choices.

• 2024-25 record: 46-32 (No. 8 in West)


• Previous coach: Taylor Jenkins (fired March 28; assistant Tuomas Iisalo takes over on interim basis)


• Lead executive: Zach Kleiman (hired in 2019)

Positive: A promising young core

Despite suffering injuries throughout the season, the Grizzlies are still in the top five in the Western Conference standings, and with the league's fifth-best net rating -- trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets.

WithJa Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis' core is entering its prime, which should give the Grizzlies runway to contend for the rest of this decade. Kleiman has shown that he can find talented second-round and undrafted players, giving Memphis a deep and versatile roster behind that star talent.

One NBA executive said this is a team that, if things break right, is reminiscent of the Cleveland Cavaliers last season before Kenny Atkinson came in and the franchise improved this season. That's the kind of boost Kleiman and the Grizzlies believe is possible.

Negatives: Small market, recent instability

Memphis is far from an NBA glamour market, and this team has had a lot of friction and uncertainty over the past year.

The Grizzlies fired virtually Jenkins' entire coaching staff last summer, bringing in -- among others -- Iisalo and Noah LaRoche to fill it out. Then, not only was Jenkins dismissed Friday, but so was LaRoche, who hired several player development coaches.

Now, on to the roster. In addition to numerous injuries, the Grizzlies have had some off-court issues with Morant over the years. The team had mitigated Morant's absence thanks to its impressive depth and, until Friday, Jenkins' work on the sidelines.

Now, on to the roster. In addition to numerous injuries, the Grizzlies have had a series of off-court issues with Morant over the years. The team had mitigated Morant's absence thanks to its other two stars, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, its impressive depth and, until Friday, Jenkins' work on the sidelines.

Who could get the job?

Although he has only an interim tag, the expectation around the league is that Iisalo will get a long look. The Grizzlies brought him from Europe last offseason and put him on Jenkins' staff, and he will get a chance to show what he can do in the playoffs. If Iisalo is not the choice, it's hard to know Memphis' next step.

• 2024-25 record: 39-40 (No. 9 in West)


• Previous coach: Mike Brown (fired in December; assistant Doug Christie takes over on interim basis)


• Lead executive: Monte McNair (hired in 2020)

Positive: Veteran, ready-to-win talent

It's hard to project Sacramento winning a title with its roster. But a coach taking over a team with Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monkhas a chance to be competitive in each game. That gives the Kings' vacancy a boost, given the typical level of talent at open jobs.

With all of those players under team control for at least a couple of more seasons, there is some runway for them to play together, adding to the appeal for a new coach.

Negatives: Small market, decades of instability

Here's all you need to know about the Kings: Since moving to Sacramento in 1984, two coaches have had at least one full season with a winning record: Rick Adelman, who did it for eight straight seasons from 1999 to 2006, and Mike Brown the past two seasons. Sacramento has made the playoffs in three of the 33 seasons not coached by Adelman, underscoring the difficulty of this job.

The departure of assistant general manager Wes Wilcox, who took the GM job for the Utah Utes earlier this month, also points to potential further destabilization this offseason, and at least the possibility of more changes in the Kings' front office. Another drawback is the club's unwillingness to pay into the luxury tax, something owner Vivek Ranadive has avoided.

Who could get the job?