Five Coaches On The Hot Seat Entering The 2025-26 NBA Season

The life of an NBA coach in today’s game is never secure. Yes, there are a few who appear to have their gig on lock, such as Miami’s Eric Spolstra, Golden State’s Steve Kerr, and LA Clippers bench boss Ty Lue, but there are several others who are looking over their shoulder heading into the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The loss and eventual trade of Damian Lillard may have saved Rivers' coaching career with the Bucks. With lowered expectations this season, despite having Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster, Rivers hasn’t exactly delivered as expected when he was hired midway through the 2023-24 season. Having a 65-53 record and a pair of first-round playoff appearances to his credit, Rivers likely has to coach for his job from day one. 

Entering his fifth season with the Pelicans, Willie Green has just two winning seasons and a pair of first-round playoff losses to show for it. While the injury-prone roster that he has had to work with over the years, especially with key players such as Zion Williamson and former Pelican Brandon Ingram, has not made it easy to find victory, Green is likely on a short leash, as new management, Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver, may want to hire their own coaching staff. 

On paper and with optimal health, Nick Nurse has a great team with quality players at every position. Unfortunately, optimal health is not a thing in Philadelphia. With stars Joel Embiid and Paul George dealing with ongoing injury issues and both possessing max contracts, plus young star Tyrese Maxey’s big contract, firing Nurse might be the only thing that the Sixers can do to say they are changing the team, should it not at least compete for a playoff spot. 

The Bulls' front office has made Billy Donovan somewhat of a lame duck over the past few years, as they have failed to capitalize on trade and free agent signing opportunities. With a 195-205 regular-season record and a first-round playoff loss three years ago, it might be time for a change in the Windy City. Donovan’s saving grace is the fact that the Bulls just signed him to a contract extension this summer. After finally moving on from Zach LaVine, the Bulls are in rebuild mode, something that doesn’t suit Donovan’s style very well. 

Entering his third season with the Raptors, Rajakovic needs to guide the team out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and back to being a playoff contender. With only 55 wins over the past two seasons, Rajakovic and the Raptors now need to focus less on development and more on winning. With Immanuel Quickly, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Jakob Poeltl, Rajakovic has one of the best starting units in the East. The question remains: what happens when he goes to his bench?