NBA coaches, players and GMs already on the hot seat

On Oct. 29, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks had "the full support of the franchise" after the team's 1-5 start. Roughly one month later, the Wizards may be on the verge of a total reset, one that could involve dealing multiple players, tanking and removing Brooks from his position. Is the 53-year-old the right man to guide this organization through a tank? 

Following an OT victory over the Houston Rockets on Nov. 26, Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal told NBA TV that reports he wanted to be traded are "nonsense." He may not have a say in the matter, as his contract does not include a no-trade clause, per Spotrac. According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, the Hornets reached out to the Wizards regarding Beal's availability. Also, expect rumors linking the Los Angeles Lakers with the 25-year-old to generate internet headlines through and past the holiday season as long as Beal remains with the Wizards. 

When John Wall requested that the Washington Wizards land a big during the summer of 2018, he may not have had Dwight Howard, signed by the franchise in July, in mind. This experiment flopped over the first month-and-a-half of the season, and the Wizards moving Wall is a logical step toward planning for the 2020s. That may be easier said than done, as explained by Jordan Greer of the Sporting News, because of the massive contract attached to the 28-year-old.

Washington Wizards' alleged hot-seat situations come full circle with president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld. As Matt Ellentuck of SB Nation wrote last May, pockets of Washington fans have long embraced the "#FireErnie" social media movement, and a roster implosion could result in those individuals getting their wishes. For what it's worth, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post isn't convinced the Wizards will hand Grunfeld a pink slip. 

Don't, for a second, believe that Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman is safe just because the Cavs cut ties with Tyronn Lue. As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com pointed out, rookie Collin Sexton is working to prove doubters wrong and show he is worth the eighth-overall draft pick spent on him. Altman must acquire future assets and use them correctly to guide the Cavs out of the conference basement before 2020. In short, his job drastically changed once James signed with the Lakers. 

Larry Drew's situation is different from others spotlighted in this piece, as the Cleveland Cavaliers likely won't fire him before the end of the 2018-19 season regardless of what happens between December and April. With that said, is there anything Drew can accomplish to keep that gig beyond serving as a fill-in following Tyronn Lue's dismissal? Unless Collin Sexton evolves into a Rookie of the Year candidate and the Cavs shock the NBA community and flirt with a .500 record, Drew's seat will and should remain hot until the front office locates his replacement. 

Odds are that the Chicago Bulls moving on from general manager Gar Forman would also result in the club replacing vice president of basketball operations John Paxson. Apparently, some Chicago fans would be just fine with that. Lauri Markkanen returning from the elbow sprain he suffered in training camp could prevent the Bulls from having the best possible draft pick. But history tells us the duo of Forman and Paxson may essentially waste that asset anyway. 

In a piece published on Halloween, Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times suggested Fred Hoiberg should only be judged once multiple players, most notably Lauri Markkanen, are healthy and able to play together. That's all well and good, but Hoiberg has done little to show he should remain Chicago coach through 2020 and the expiration of his contract. The Bulls won only 27 games last season, and this year's edition of the team may be even worse. 

Unless you haven't been paying attention one bit to the situation, you are likely aware the Philadelphia 76ers and 20-year-old guard Markelle Fultz are headed toward a breakup. Fultz's curious, if not ugly, shooting form made him a punchline for fans posting on social media and also NFL players, and the Sixers trading for Jimmy Butler turned the organization into a win-now team understandably disinterested in attempting to fix whatever is troubling Fultz. A change of scenery could benefit all parties. 

Mike D'Antoni may have won a title with the Houston Rockets earlier this year had Chris Paul not injured his hamstring during the Western Conference Finals. That's worth less than nothing as the winter months approach. A Houston side that was advertised to again compete for a conference crown began the 2018-19 season at 1-5, and the Rockets then lost to the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards in late November. 

General manager Daryl Morey and coach Mike D'Antoni will probably share blame if the Houston Rockets don't right the ship and/or if the club suffers an early playoff exit. Signing Carmelo Anthony, who Houston exiled after only 10 games, was little more than a waste of time and money. Questions will be asked about Houston giving Chris Paul a four-year, $160 million maximum contract this past July if the 33-year-old either struggles to remain healthy or fails to help the Rockets get any closer to the NBA Finals. 

As Evan Sidery of Bright Side of the Sun wrote, Josh Jackson starting seasons slowly isn't anything new. But that reality doesn't mean his long-term NBA future is tied to the Phoenix Suns. "The hourglass is starting to run low on Jackson," Sidery explained. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton are two pieces the Suns can and will build around as the franchise attempts to locate respectability. Metro's Jovan Alford believes the Suns could "hypothetically" package Jackson in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for Markelle Fultz. 

Followers of the Portland Trail Blazers are probably used to the temperature of coach Terry Stotts' chair allegedly rising. Last May, Marc Stein of The New York Times reported Stotts' future in Portland was in doubt following yet another poor postseason showing. In early November, Mitch Lawrence of the Sporting News wrote "Stotts’ wishes to get an extension were turned down by (team owner) Paul Allen, according to Portland sources." Allen's death in October created additional doubt regarding Stotts' status.  

Billy Donovan's legacy with the Oklahoma City Thunder involves OKC blowing a 3-1 series lead in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, which resulted in Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors and a pair of first-round playoff exits. The latter is unacceptable with Russell Westbrook and Paul George in the lineup. Beginning the campaign 0-4 didn't help Donovan's cause even though the Thunder won 12 of their following 15 contests. 

LeBron James was never known as the most patient individual during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the current King of the Los Angeles Lakers turns 34 years old on Dec. 30. As Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus explained, team president Magic Johnson needs to evaluate how long he's willing to wait for players such as Brandon Ingram to fully develop during the twilight of James' prime, especially if a proven commodity like Bradley Beal is available. Ingram and a young teammate may become surplus to requirements. 

In fairness to Tom Thibodeau, the Minnesota Timberwolves won six of eight contests after the team traded wantaway star Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers in November. How much should Thibodeau be blamed for signing former players and for Butler demanding what became an in-season move? Is Thibs the guy to turn Andrew Wiggins into something other than an incredible athlete who largely scores empty points? Answers to these queries will make or break Thibodeau's reign. 

The Boston Celtics earned all the criticism lobbed toward their side after beginning the season with a record of 11-10. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe called the Cs "unhappy and frustrated." In the final week of November, John Karalis of Boston.com wrote "something is clearly wrong with this team, and it’s not talent." WEEI's John Tomase recently suggested Boston could package Al Horford in a trade for New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis. Doing so could get Kyrie Irving to remain in Boston beyond next spring.

Realistically, the Cleveland Cavaliers cannot trade Kevin Love until he returns from a toe injury in early 2019. Love turned 30 years old in September, and it is painfully obvious the Cavs are way worse than the team's front office believed/hoped this past September. Assuming Love shows he's healthy and also reclaims his offensive touch, the Cavs should look to move him, which may not disappoint the one-time champion all that much considering the current state of the franchise. 

In mid-November, ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz wrote how both Dell Demps and Alvin Gentry "survived hot seat after hot seat" during their tenures with the New Orleans Pelicans. Could that change before July 2019? As SB Nation's Tom Ziller explained, Anthony Davis could already be planning his exit from the club, and Demps losing any trade involving a potential future MVP and an organization such as the Boston Celtics could end this particular era for New Orleans. 

If Dell Demps and Alvin Gentry are a package deal while with the New Orleans Pelicans, the seats underneath both could get warmer, especially if there is any feeling that Anthony Davis isn't sold Gentry will become a championship-caliber coach with the organization. The 64-year-old signing a two-year extension this past June will matter little if Demps wants or requires a fall guy, especially if trading Davis is unavoidable. Gentry and Co. went winless in the first four games of the season, which New Orleans played without Davis in the lineup. Disaster could strike both Demps and Gentry if Davis is sidelined for a significant period. 

The Los Angeles Lakers may not clean house to appease LeBron James his first season as part of the Lake Show, but there are legitimate reasons why individuals such as Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated are asking if guard Lonzo Ball and the three-time champ can co-exist. Can Ball help James win a championship in Year 2 as did Kyrie Irving with the Cleveland Cavaliers? How frustrated will the King become those nights when Lonzo's shot isn't falling? Not for nothing, but Ball could be a nice replacement for John Wall if the Washington Wizards blow things up, as expected. 

Even a few months ago, the idea that Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens could be on the hot seat anytime soon would have been seen as little more than a ridiculous hot take. Then, the Cs began the 2018-19 season with a 10-10 mark. As Thomas King of Hardwood Houdini wrote, only one team has ever won an NBA championship after recording such a slow start to a campaign. With Kyrie Irving's free agency looming, Boston could feel forced into difficult conversations about the team's short-term future if the Celtics continue to hover around .500 through Christmas. 

Let's have some fun here. ESPN's Nick Friedell wrote about how the Golden State Warriors got past the much-publicized spat between Draymond Green and Kevin Durant, but so much could occur before the upcoming trade deadline. Say, for the sake of argument, the Warriors believe Durant would remain with the organization if the team dealt Green to a side willing to make such a trade acceptable for the reigning two-time champs. Yeah, it probably isn't happening, but the ESPN Trade Machine doesn't exist so we can produce transactions involving Kyle Korver. 

In January 2016, ESPN's Brian Windhorst touched upon LeBron James' reputation for being a coach killer, even though only two of his coaches had been fired as of that time. Whether or not you view Tyronn Lue as James' third supposed victim is a matter of opinion. On Nov. 28, Windhorst wrote "LeBron James takes control of the Lakers." There will be one undisputed and unchallenged locker room general from whom everyone else takes orders, and he wears No. 23. Walton's seat will cool only if James wins a fourth title, which likely isn't happening before at least 2020. Let the speculation about Walton's replacement begin.