It seems four teams with winning record this season will hire new coaches: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers.
The Hawks already hired Mike Budenholzer, a Spurs assistant whom several other teams pursued. With their rosters, the Nets, Grizzlies and Clippers teams will also have significant leverage to lure the prime coaching candidates available.
Nate McMillan has a nice track record in Seattle and Portland, and he seems ready to return to the sideline. Lionel Hollins will be in demand everywhere but Memphis. George Karl might even be on the move.
Brian Shaw, arguably the assistant whose stock is highest right now, also wants to be in that mix of the top coaches who get the top jobs. Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News:
Shaw turned down the Bobcats last summer, so we know he isn’t – or at least wasn’t – desperate to take just any head-coaching job. If the Clippers don’t hire him, would he settle for the Pistons or the 76ers, the two other teams with openings? Or would he just return to the Pacers as an assistant?
Shaw might not view the situation as Clippers or bust, but other teams won’t necessarily wait for him if he puts all his eggs in that basket.
