The 2025-26 regular season isn’t over yet, but there are already multiple NBA coaches whose seats are warmer than others. A few head tacticians, whose teams have arguably failed to meet expectations or play callers whose teams want a change of direction, could be fired by the end of the season.
Coaches are much easier to replace than players, so the coaching NBA carousel is already starting to gain traction. Even coaches with a championship resume or pedigree might not be safe if a team wants to jolt a franchise.
The playoffs could change this list dramatically, but as of now, these are the NBA coaches who could be gone after the season.
5 NBA Coaches Potentially in Hot Seat
#5. Doug Christie/Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings might start from scratch (again) and make Doug Christie one of the likely multiple NBA coaches who could get a change of scenery in the offseason.
After the controversial firing of Mike Brown, a former Coach of the Year winner, the Kings rolled the dice on Christie, who had a 27-24 record as an interim coach. With some expectations heading into the season, the Kings have failed to meet expectations (again).
With Christie guiding the team, the Kings have a 19-55 record, the worst in the NBA. Regardless of where Sacramento lands in the draft lottery, having a new coach at the helm might be one of their offseason plans.
#4. Tuomas Iisalo/Memphis Grizzlies
Injuries to key players could easily be the biggest reason the Memphis Grizzlies failed to meet expectations this season. However, during stretches when most of their key contributors were available, the Grizzlies were inconsistent and arguably lacked identity.
Tuomas Iisalo reportedly didn’t see eye to eye with Ja Morant for some time. Despite persistent trade rumors, Morant remains in Memphis while former co-star Jaren Jackson Jr. has been shipped to Utah.
If the Grizzlies want to keep Morant as their franchise cornerstone, Iisalo could be one of some NBA coaches looking for a new job in the offseason.
#3. Doc Rivers/Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks could be impatient when a coach can’t live up to expectations. They did it when they fired Adrian Griffin in January 2024 for Doc Rivers. After this season, Rivers might follow Griffin out of Milwaukee.
With Rivers at the helm, the Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs in the last two years, a key reason that made Giannis Antetokounmpo a staple in trade rumors. Milwaukee, 29-43 on Wednesday, is headed for an early vacation.
The Bucks might look for another voice to guide Antetokounmpo and Co. next season. Doc Rivers could be one of multiple NBA coaches who could be fired by season’s end.
#4. Jamahl Mosley/Orlando Magic
Jamahl Mosley has gone from one of the overachieving NBA coaches to arguably an underachiever. In 2024, he guided the Orlando Magic to the playoffs, where his team gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a tough fight before going down in seven games.
Last year, the Magic suffered a gentleman’s sweep against the Boston Celtics.
To reinforce the roster this season, the Magic traded four first-round picks and a pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies for Ja Morant’s former partner, Desmond Bane. The core of Bane, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. was supposed to make the Magic a legitimate contender to win the East.
Instead, the Magic are battling for a play-in tournament spot, putting Mosley’s job in jeopardy.
Injuries to Wagner and Suggs have been brutal, but the Magic could look at a list of other NBA coaches capable of taking over Mosley’s spot.
#5. Ime Udoka/Orlando Magic
Ime Udoka was one of the best NBA coaches last season, guiding the Houston Rockets to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. However, Udoka’s team lost in the first round to the underdog Golden State Warriors.
To bolster the lineup, the Rockets traded for Kevin Durant to address their need for a bona fide playoff scorer this year. Fred VanVleet’s knee injury to start the season was a huge factor, but many expected Houston to do just as well as the 2024-25 campaign.
Udoka might not have lived up to his reputation as one of the best NBA coaches around. Houston is clinging to an outright playoff berth. Worryingly, the Rockets lost 110-108 in overtime to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
With Udoka calling the shots, the Rockets surrendered a 13-point lead in the extra period to lose the game. Houston became the first team in 29 seasons to suffer a defeat after leading by 10 points or more.
Ime Udoka’s days with the Rockets could be numbered.
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