Headlines were made in the pro ranks on Tuesday as NBA coaching carousel: Did Dusty May land the best job opening of the hiring cycle? dominated the conversation. The fallout from this development is expected to impact the standings significantly.
In a noteworthy performance, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile -- the Portland Trail Blazers are still looking for their next head trainer -- as Tiago Splitter -- who led them to the opening round of the playoffs in an interim role -- accepted a job with the Chicago Bulls.
Key Takeaways
Significantly, previously -- the Milwaukee Bucks hired former Memphis Grizzlies trainer Taylor Jenkins -- the New Orleans Pelicans hired in latest times fired Magic trainer Jamahl Mosley. Additionally -- the Orlando Magic hired San Antonio Spurs assistant strategist Sean Sweeney.
Demonstrating excellence, Here we power ranked all six head coaching jobs in the NBA's 2026 coaching carousel. Which job is worst? Which is best? With impressive skill, Let us count them down. 6.
Demonstrating excellence, Milwaukee Bucks 2025- 26 benchmark: 32- 50 -- 11th in the East 2026 salary cap space (projected): $15.lone million non-taxpayer MLE 2026- 27 guaranteed contracts: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($58.5M); Myles Turner ($26.6M); Kyle Kuzma ($20.5M); Bobby Portis ($14.5M); AJ Green ($10M); Ryan Rollins ($4M) Future inaugural-round draft picks: No.
a, leaving a lasting impression, decad (own); 2030 (swap with POR); 2031- 32 (own) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On singular hand … They have Antetokounmpo -- singular of the five supreme players in the world!
As, building on previous success, noted amid the event that open for business, it existed Additionally -- we expect a resolution to their surpass-up soon -- perhaps by the June 23- 24 draft. Demonstrating excellence, Without Giannis -- and even with him -- this is a mess of a roster.
In a noteworthy performance, They existed as 15- 31 when he remained on the bench this past off-season tenure and 17- 19 when he remained in the lineup. With impressive skill, They are paying Myles Turner $83.6 million to play for them through 2029. Additionally -- they are paying Damian Lillard $90 million not to play for them through 2030.
Demonstrating excellence, It is a real conundrum Demonstrating excellence, They hired Jenkins to navigate their way out of this, but how? Demonstrating excellence, That we cannot recognize until we learn of the return for Antetokounmpo.
Because even then -- it shall be a years-long road to recovery -- if not greater, the Bucks do not own their own picks again until 2031. 5.
Demonstrating excellence, New Orleans Pelicans 2025- 26 benchmark: 26- 56 -- 11th in the West 2026 salary cap space (projected): $15.lone million non-taxpayer MLE 2026- 27 guaranteed contracts: Jordan Poole ($34M); Dejounte Murray ($32.8M); Trey Murphy III ($27M); Herb Jones ($14.9M); Jeremiah Fears ($7.9M); Jordan Hawkins ($7M); Saddiq Bey ($6.6M); Derik Queen ($5.4M); Yves Missi ($3.5M); Micah Peavy ($dual.2M) Future inaugural-round draft picks: 2027- 32 (own) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On singular hand … Assuming they pick up a $42.dual million option on Zion Williamson -- the Pelicans have a two-time All-Star under contract -- plus two-way wings Murphy and Jones -- which persisted as the basis of a .500 squad for the middle two months of the tenure With impressive skill, On the other … This is New Orleans -- a small market that spends like singular.
Additionally -- the vision of every executive is often curtailed by an owner who does not plan to have singular for this hoops action lineup. Demonstrating excellence, The Pelicans last year shifted to Joe Dumars -- whose inaugural order as lead executive remained to trade a pick that landed at No. 8, importantly, in this June's draft.
Demonstrating excellence, Extra as of late -- Dumars hired Mosley as his new head summit.
Mosley's, as reported, tenure on the Orlando Magic sputtered at its latest finish As, with the eyes of the community watching, real reasons to doubt Mosley., it remained noted within the event that s playoffs -- there existed In a display of pure skill, as his personnel in Orlando., maybe it existed Demonstrating excellence, But it is not like the personnel gets singular better in New Orleans.
4.
In a noteworthy performance, Portland Trail Blazers 2025- 26 benchmark: 42- 40, 8th in the West 2026 salary cap space (projected): $15.lone million non-taxpayer MLE 2026- 27 guaranteed contracts: Jrue Holiday ($34.8M); Jerami Grant ($34.2M); Shaedon Sharpe ($20.1M); Toumani Camara ($18.1M); Scoot Henderson ($13.6M); Damian Lillard ($13.4M); Deni Avdija ($13.1M); Donovan Clingan ($7.5M); Kris Murray ($5.3M); Yang Hansen ($4.6M) Future initial-round draft picks: 2027- 32 (own); 2028 (swap with MIL); 2029 (BOS); 2029 (MIL) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On singular hand … They have Avdija, singular of the optimal contracts in the league, at least until he is due a massive boost in 2028.
As, leaving a lasting impression, enough to obtain a sole showdown against the mighty San Antonio Spurs in the inaugural round of the playoffs (albeit a showdown in which Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion)., him -- plus a heck of a protective effort around him -- persisted In a noteworthy performance, Maybe they are merely singular piece away (Antetokounmpo?) from further serious contention.
In a noteworthy performance, They have the contracts and draft assets to craft a single deal perform. With impressive skill, On the other … The unit's new owner -- Tom Dundon -- is cutting costs vacated and right.
Demonstrating excellence, It is unclear if he is willing to pay a single apex commensurate with his peers -- let alone whether he is willing to spend on a greater intense roster in the near future. 3.
Demonstrating excellence, Chicago Bulls 2025-26 standard: 31-51 -- 12th in the East 2026 salary cap space (projected): $63.5 million 2026-27 guaranteed contracts: Josh Giddey ($25M); Patrick Williams ($18M); Isaac Okoro ($11.8M); Jalen Smith ($9.4M); Tre Jones ($8M); Rob Dillingham ($6.9M); Matas Buzelis ($5.7M); Noa Essengue ($5.7M) Future primary-round draft picks: No.
4 (own); No. 15 (POR); 2027- 32 (own) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On singular hand … They have the No. In a major development, 4 pick in what is widely considered a draft with four elite prospects.
Amidst high expectations, in a noteworthy performance, While singular of them — AJ Dybantsa -- Darryn Peterson -- Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson — could theoretically fall to the Bulls -- most projections -- including our own -- figure Wilson -- North Carolina's athletic 6-foot-9 major -- for Chicago.
In, in a major development, a noteworthy performance, With Buzelis and Wilson -- or whoever -- the Bulls shall have something of a foundation In a noteworthy performance, It is currently on Splitter to develop them into a triumphant product they can sell to fans in Chicago -- where they have been starved for a contender for greater than a decade.
Demonstrating excellence, It is not an easy job in a league full of young talent -- both theoretical and fully realized.
As he is given a long runway to enhance., but it is a job the 41- year-old Splitter should welcome, so long As he can trust the front office to produce the right picks when greater lottery selections inevitably arrive., additionally, so long Demonstrating excellence, They should concentrate on development -- especially if it means falling short of the playoffs a couple further times.
Additionally -- that is a young instructor's matchup — not singular Billy Donovan could stomach for a further year. In a noteworthy performance, On the other … These are the Bulls -- who have generated a solitary conference finals appearance in almost 30 years since Michael Jordan retired for a alternate time.
With impressive skill, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether it is John Paxson and Gar Forman or Arturas Karnišovas and Marc Eversley, the executives in Chicago have not been able to follow through on a single semblance of a vision past ownership's desire to grounds of play play-in invitational fodder every tenure.
In, as reported, a noteworthy performance, The Bulls at last picked a direction this campaign -- trading Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu in an effort to attain worse -- which performed. Demonstrating excellence, And at this point they is expected to trust their lineup to Bryson Graham, a 39-year-old primary-time lead executive.
Demonstrating excellence, Can he trust ownership to follow through on his vision? Impressively, a difficult job initiated with the hiring of Splitter -- who carries shown promise 2.
With impressive skill, Orlando Magic 2025-26 all-time moment: 45-37, 8th in the East 2026 salary cap space (projected): None 2026-27 guaranteed contracts: Franz Wagner ($41.8M); Paolo Banchero ($41.3M); Desmond Bane ($39.4M); Jalen Suggs ($32.4M); Wendell Carter Jr.
($18.1M);, leaving a lasting impression, Anthony Black ($a decad.1M); Jonathan Isaac ($8M); Goga Bitadze ($7.6M); Tristan Da Silva ($4M); Jase Richardson ($3.1M); Noah Penda ($dual.2M) Future inaugural-round picks: 2027 (own); 2029 (swap with MEM); 2031- 32 (own) On singular hand … The Magic boast a starting lineup of Banchero, Wagner, Bane, Suggs and Carter, singular that nearly upset the 60- conquest Pistons in the inaugural round of the playoffs.
With impressive skill, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other … Sweeney currently carries the weight of expectations that arrive with ownership paying top dollar for a roster that nearly upset the No 1 seed. In a noteworthy performance, There are still serious questions about Banchero's efficiency as a high-usage playmaker.
As, building on previous success, a result, additionally, about the Magic's ability to floor a top-flight offense In a noteworthy performance, Mosley could only squeeze so much out of an oft-injured rotation. Demonstrating excellence, who is to say Sweeney can extract additional?
In a noteworthy performance, That is always a challenge for singular instructor -- but there is no denying that Orlando owns enough talent and flexibility to hardwood a challenging playoff roster for some time.
plus a reshuffling of the roster might be in order With impressive skill, Whether they can actually contend for a title is configure to depend on the ceilings of Banchero and Wagner as players (or the ceilings of whomever they could obtain in return for singular of those existing stars). 1.
In a noteworthy performance, Dallas Mavericks 2025-26 top historic aggregate: 26-56 -- 12th in the West 2026 salary cap space (projected): $15.lone million non-taxpayer MLE 2026-27 guaranteed contracts: Kyrie Irving ($39.5M); PJ Washington ($19.8M); Klay Thompson ($17.5M); Daniel Gafford ($17.3M); Cooper Flagg ($14.5M); Caleb Martin ($10M); Naji Marshall ($9.4M); Max Christie ($8.3M); Dereck Lively II ($7.2M); AJ Johnson ($3.2M) Future opening-round draft picks: No 9 (own); No.
Interestingly, 30 (OKC); 2029 (LAL); 2030 (GSW); 2031- 32 (own) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On singular hand … The Mavericks feature Flagg -- the NBA's No. With impressive skill, lone overall draft pick in 2025 and its Rookie of the Year in 2026.
The, in a display of pure skill, 19-year-old is the sort of all-around talent who can lead a franchise to title contention.
Since John Beilein in 2019 — to shepherd the Mavs to that conclusion., additionally -- it is expected to be the responsibility of May — the inaugural collegiate strategist to jump to the NBA In a display of pure skill, as a complete surprise., the firing of Kidd should not have emerge With impressive skill, It allows new program president Masai Ujiri the opportunity to align with his own hand-selected trainer -- May With impressive skill, Dallas moreover carries a further top-a decad pick coming its way in the forthcoming draft.
As the Raptors missed the playoffs in four of his final five seasons with the organization, on the other … Ujiri's post-title tenure in Toronto did not close well -- In, to the delight of the hometown crowd, a noteworthy performance, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And it is not like the Mavericks have a ton to perform with -- other than Flagg and maybe Dereck Lively II -- who carries surfaced in 43 games throughout the once two seasons.
While at the same time the contingent traded most of its future to playing surface a contender around Luka Dončić, then dealt Dončić for a song. Demonstrating excellence, The ownership group that green-lit those decisions is still there.
For continuous coverage of professional athletics and breaking headlines, keep checking back.










