On February 21, the NBA saw its first head coach firing of the season as the Minnesota Timberwolves axed Ryan Saunders after a 7-24 (14-16-1 ATS) start to the season.
They have since replaced him with Toronto Raptors assistant coach Chris Finch.
Now, the attention turns to the rest of the league to see who’ll be the next coach hitting the unemployment line.
Sportsbetting.ag has released their odds when it comes to which coaches might get fired next.
Which NBA Head Coach will be Fired Next?
Odds via Sportsbetting.ag as of Monday, February 22
- Luke Walton +250
- Dwane Casey +275
- Scott Brooks +300
- Steve Clifford +500
- Lloyd Pierce +750
- Michael Malone +1200
- JB Bickerstaff +1400
- Mike Budenholzer +1600
- Rick Carlisle +1800
- Erik Spoelstra +2000
All Eyes are on Luke Walton
The Sacramento Kings have been all over the place this NBA season. Back in January and early-February, there was a stretch where the Kings won seven of their last eight games. Since then, they have lost seven games in a row.
The Kings have not made the playoffs in 15 years. If they continue to slide down the standings, Luke Walton may be the fall guy. While he has a 43-59 record in Sacramento, the Kings can’t afford to waste their youths potential much longer.
At +250 odds of getting fired, it might be over for Walton sooner than later.
Will Dwane Casey be the Next NBA Coach Fired?
Aside from the Timberwolves, the Detroit Pistons are the worst team in the NBA at 8-22. So, it’s no surprise that sportsbooks think that Dwane Casey might be out the door next. The Pistons have zero playoff wins in two appearances over the last 10 years.
Granted, Detroit’s roster is far from great and it looks like they’re about to blow things up with a full rebuild. If that’s the case, Casey’s job might be over if Pistons management wants a fresh start. Yes, Casey is a former Coach of the Year, but when something isn’t working, it’s not working.
Will the Wizards say “Bye” to Brooks?
It’s hard to imagine a team that has both Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook is 11-17. Somehow, someway that’s where the Washington Wizards find themselves. While not everything is Scott Brooks fault, he is in the last year of his contract. Even though it seems like Wizards players like him, including Westbrook, it makes Brooks expendable.
To put this into perspective, these are Brooks’ win totals the past three seasons:
- 2019: 32 in 82 games
- 2020: 25 in 72 games
- 2021: 11 in 28 games (on pace for 28 in 72 games)
Looking at those numbers, Brooks seems to be running out of rope.
Will Erik Spoelstra Have to Find a New NBA Team?
As of this season, Erik Spoelstra is the second-longest-tenured coach in the NBA (Greg Popovich has been with the Spurs since 1996).
After 13 years with the Miami Heat, Spoelstra has made the NBA Finals five teams, winning them twice. Just last season, the Heat lost in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA Championship. So, how does Spoelstra find himself with top-10 odds of being the next coach to be fired?
It’s simple: the Heat have been disappointing this season. They’re currently 14-17. They’re only 0.5 games out of a playoff spot, but that doesn’t make the situation any better. After all, their record last season was 44-29 — good for fifth in the East.
Blame it on the shortened offseason or the Heat’s lack of offseason additions. The fact is that they should be better than they are and part of that has to fall on Spoelstra. It’s his job to motivate the team to play like they did last season.
Maybe it’s time for a new era in Miami.
