The playoffs are here, which means coaching changes are on the way for some teams that fell short of the postseason. We’re tracking every move so far:
Who’s out: Luke Walton
Who’s in: TBD
The Lakers fired Luke Walton after three years, none of which ended with a postseason appearance. Walton’s job security was under the microscope as soon as LeBron James was signed by Los Angeles in July, and the lack of continuity between the front office and the coaching staff was apparent even before injuries and suboptimal transactions left the Lakers out of the postseason conversation by the end of March. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are expected to target former Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue and former New Orleans head coach and current 76ers assistant coach Monty Williams. Miami assistant Juwan Howard will also talk to Los Angeles about their vacant head coaching position.
Who’s out: Larry Drew
Who’s in: TBD
The Cavaliers fired Tyronn Lue after an 0-6 start, which left Drew with the unenviable task of taking over a roster that had just lost LeBron James over the summer. James’ offseason move to L.A., combined with a young roster and a limited season from Kevin Love — the former All-Star played just 22 games after toe surgery — had all the makings of a season headed for a high lottery pick in June’s draft. Cleveland will begin conducting interviews this week, including meetings with Miami assistant Juwan Howard and Dallas assistant Jamahl Mosley, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Who’s out: J.B. Bickerstaff
Who’s in: TBD
Bickerstaff was the headliner in a major front-office shake-up in Memphis that also saw the demotions of general manager Chris Wallace and VP of basketball operations John Hollinger to scouting and senior advisory roles, respectively.
Who’s out: Dave Joerger
Who’s in: Luke Walton
In a somewhat confusing move for the up-and-coming Kings, Joerger was fired after a 39-43 season — the franchise’s best since 2005-06. Tension between management and Joerger regarding playing time for certain young players and relationship strains prompted general manager Vlade Divac’s decision, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Joerger, who had a 98-148 record over three seasons in Sacramento, had one year remaining on his contract. The Kings quickly moved to replace Joerger with Walton, who had the same 98-148 record over the past three seasons.
Marks: Sacramento’s next moves after firing Joerger
Who’s out: Igor Kokoskov
Who’s in: TBD
Less than a year after he was hired, Igor Kokoskov — the first NBA coach born and raised outside North America — was fired by the Suns, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Phoenix went 19-63 in his lone season at the helm, tied with the Cavaliers for the second-worst record in the NBA. The 19 wins were the second-fewest in a season in Suns history, as the team fell short of the 25-win mark for the fourth consecutive year.