5 NBA coaches who are in the hot seat following Mike Malone’s shock departure
Ahead of the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets decided to part ways with coach Michael Malone, the winningest coach in franchise history.
The move also comes on the heels of the Memphis Grizzlies parting ways with coach Taylor Jenkins in another stunning move that came ahead of the playoffs.
Although the postseason is right around the corner, it's clear that no jobs are safe. With that in mind, here are five coaches on the hot seat following Malone's shocking departure.
Five NBA coaches who are on the hot seat
#1: Doc Rivers - Milwaukee Bucks
When the Milwaukee Bucks parted ways with Adrian Griffin midway through the 2023-24 season, the decision to hire Doc Rivers was met with skepticism from some fans.
While injuries defined the 2024 postseason for Milwaukee, Rivers had time this season, prior to Damian Lillard being sidelined with a blood clot, to cement Milwaukee's place as a top team in the East. Instead, the team struggled to gain a foothold atop the conference standings.
Given that the Bucks are sitting in fifth place right now, a bad postseason could spell the end of Rivers' time in Milwaukee.
#2: Mike Budenholzer - Phoenix Suns
While the Phoenix Suns still have four games left to play this season, Mike Budenholzer's team has already been mathematically eliminated from the postseason. The team is sitting on a 35-43 record as they prepare to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Given that all signs point to the team parting ways with Kevin Durant this summer, don't be surprised to see Budenholzer hand his walking papers as well, either sometime this summer or before the 2025-26 NBA Trade Deadline.
#3: Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks
After the Dallas Mavericks parted ways with Luka Doncic, general manager Nico Harrison emphasized that the franchise's focus is on immediate success.
While expectations are low heading into the postseason, given the absence of Kyrie Irving, if Dallas isn't able to prove that they're in a spot to contend next season, Kidd may wind up looking for a coaching job elsewhere.
#4: Darko Rajakovic - Toronto Raptors
This season, the Toronto Raptors acquired Brandon Ingram and then subsequently extended his contract.
Given the slew of young talent on the roster, like Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick, and the franchise's upcoming draft picks, Toronto could look to acquire a more proven coach this summer to help them get to where they want to go.
According to Sports Illustrated, however, this past summer, Toronto exercised their team option on Rajaković's contract, which should keep him around until the 2026-27 season.
#5: Steve Kerr - Golden State Warriors
Since acquiring Jimmy Butler, Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors have given fans some indication that the team could be poised for a deep postseason run.
Despite that, Kerr has been open about the fact that he's seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to his coaching career. After the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kerr stepped down as coach of Team USA. Since then, the question has been whether Kerr's retirement will coincide with Steph Curry's.
While Curry has shown little signs of slowing down, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the legendary coach decides to walk away and ride off into the sunset.