With the news that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has been fired, there are now five teams that could be looking to hire a new head coach: the Pelicans, Magic, Bulls, Nuggets and Timberwolves. Four of those jobs officially have vacancies, while the fifth (Minnesota) could open up if Flip Saunders decides he's found the right person to allow him to focus exclusively on being the team's president.
Which NBA coaching vacancy is the most attractive?
The talent of the Bulls’ roster? Anthony Davis? The tantalizing future of the Timberwolves, should that job open? We rank the five most prominent open jobs in the NBA.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Thibodeau and Alvin Gentry are two of the hottest names available, while Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg is the front-runner to land the Bulls job. Scott Skiles, Jeff Van Gundy and Vinny Del Negro, meanwhile, have been interviewing for open positions, and there are always dark horse candidates that could emerge at the last minute.
The strengths and weaknesses of those coaches are well-known at this point. So instead of focusing on them, let’s figure out which opening is most appealing.
5. Denver Nuggets
After a dreadful start, the Nuggets fired Brian Shaw last season and made Melvin Hunt the interim coach. The players responded to Hunt and performed better, but still finished 12th in the West and were far from a playoff spot, 15 games behind the eighth seed.
There are rumors that the team's best player, Ty Lawson, could be on the move. Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler will be on the last year of their contracts and could also be trade bait if the franchise decides to rebuild. The only core piece signed long term is Kenneth Faried, who openly clashed with his last coach and could also be dealt.
The Nuggets have a promising young core in center Jusuf Nurkic, shooting guard Gary Harris and the No. 7 pick in this upcoming draft. They could also carve out enough cap space to sign a free agent to a max deal. Still, it's unclear what direction the franchise is going after failing to go into complete rebuild mode at the trade deadline, so it's hard to see free agents clamoring to play in Denver. Ownership has traditionally resisted full-on rebuilding projects, which leaves the franchise directionless.
Denver might be better off sticking with Hunt and postponing the hiring of a new coach for when the plan of action becomes clearer.
4. Orlando Magic
The Magic failed to take a step forward last season despite signing a few veterans to pricey contracts and finished with the fifth-worst record in the league. The progress of their young players stagnated, which cost Jacque Vaughn his job.
Orlando's front office has been accumulating talent regardless of fit, and as a result, the team lacks an identity. Channing Frye, Ben Gordon and Luke Ridnour made little impact as veteran leaders. While the Magic could create significant cap space if they let Tobias Harris go elsewhere, it's hard to see them attracting a high-level free agent without significantly overpaying.
There is, however, a lot of talent on that roster. Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo and Evan Fournier are a nice backcourt rotation. Aaron Gordon and Harris offer a lot of athleticism and versatility at both forward spots, and Nikola Vucevic is one of the most prolific scorers and rebounders at the center position in the league. With some clever signings, those pieces might fit better than they did in the past.
The Magic are far from contending or even competing for a playoff spot. Nevertheless, they appear to be closing in on hiring Skiles, who is known for executing quick turnarounds.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves were the worst team in the league last season, but injuries played a huge part in that. Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic all missed time, which resulted in the front office deciding to trade players and open up playing time for young prospects.
The good news is some of them stepped up. Andrew Wiggins looked like a star in the making, while Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad proved they can be productive rotation players. Zach LaVine played out of position at point guard, but still managed to show flashes of potential. Minnesota also will have the chance to incorporate another cornerstone with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Adding Rubio, Pekovic and potentially Kevin Garnett to that group could provide a nice mixture of youth and experience.
The biggest drawback of the position could be working under the organization’s odd power structure. Flip Saunders was both general manager and coach last season and had the team playing an old school brand of offense that skews three-pointers. If he insists that his replacement -- provided he actually steps down -- continues that strategy, the lack of freedom to establish a different identity could be a deal breaker for many coaches. More generally, the organization has seen many head coaches and general managers come through without experiencing any recent success.
Still, the chance to build around Wiggins and the No. 1 pick is enough to make the job enticing if it opens up.
2. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have a killer big man rotation, an emerging two-way star in Jimmy Butler (assuming he re-signs this summer) and finally had Derrick Rose healthy for a playoff run. It’s no surprise they made the conference semifinals after finishing with the third best record in the East. Many felt they underachieved this year and the talent on the roster suggests 60 wins is possible next season.
Chicago won’t have a lot of flexibility to add the shooters it desperately needs, but could retain Mike Dunleavy, who is a free agent. If Tony Snell starts to show consistency and Doug McDermott gives them some minutes at small forward, all they really need is a backup point guard that can allow Rose to take some nights off. The rest of the roster is deep and talented.
But the Bulls don’t rank No. 1 because of how the firing of Thibodeau was handled. The Bulls’ front office is very heavy-handed and will want significant input on decisions given how upset they were that Thibodeau didn’t always give them the time of day. Whoever steps in as coach will have to live up to the standards set by Thibodeau, or face scrutiny from the press and the fans after such a nasty situation. There’s also some uncertainty in terms of personnel, with Nikola Mirotic’s emergence possibly forcing the front office to trade Taj Gibson.
If the roster was the only measure, any coach would salivate to get this job. But whoever does secure it will have to have a thick skin and a talent for diplomacy to keep the front office happy.
1. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans made the playoffs last season despite Jrue Holiday, Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis missing time. They put up a good fight against the superior Warriors, but that wasn't enough for the front office, which decided to fire Monty Williams.
Expectations will be high next season in New Orleans in terms of results, but the talent is there to exceed them. Davis is emerging as a perennial MVP candidate, so the presence of him alone on the roster is reason enough for anyone to want this job. A healthy Holiday, next to a rejuvenated Eric Gordon and with Tyreke Evans coming off the bench, makes for a really good backcourt rotation. Anderson could have a bounce-back season.
If the Pelicans retain Asik and upgrade their bench, they should be a playoff team again next year. After that, they will likely have the flexibility to make additional moves once the cap rises and as Davis enters his prime. Ownership instability is a potential drawback, but Davis’ talent trumps it.
While the Bulls offer a better chance to succeed now, the Pelicans offer a better long-term outlook. That is why their opening is the most attractive of all.
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