NBA coaching hot seats are heating up as the 2025 All-Star break approaches, with Portland’s Chauncey Billups leading the pack of coaches who might be looking for new jobs soon.
Betting odds suggest Billups is most likely to get fired next, with New Orleans’ Willie Green not far behind.
Here’s who’s feeling the most pressure, according to BetOnline:
โข Chauncey Billups (Portland) at +200
โข Willie Green (New Orleans) at +250
โข Billy Donovan (Chicago) at +500
โข Darko Rajakovic (Toronto) at +600
โข Nick Nurse (Philadelphia) at +800
Things aren’t looking great for Billups in Portland. He’s won just 94 games while losing 190 – that’s a pretty rough .331 winning percentage. The Blazers haven’t even hit 34 wins in any of his seasons.
“The goals he has for his coaching career don’t align with where the organization currently is,” says Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Word is Portland’s just waiting until April to make the split official.
In New Orleans, Willie Green’s dealing with a mess of his own.
Injuries have hit the team hard – Zion Williamson’s hamstring, Dejounte Murray’s hand, and several others have been sidelined. But that’s not even the biggest headache. There’s drama around Brandon Ingram’s contract situation, with teams balking at his $36 million salary and demands for a massive extension.
Green’s overall record isn’t terrible (135-151), but getting swept in last year’s playoffs didn’t help his case.
Then there’s Billy Donovan in Chicago.
The Bulls are stuck in neutral – they’ve missed the playoffs in seven of nine seasons, including three of four under Donovan. Even with stars like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic playing well, they’re just not getting it done.
At 18-21 this season, Chicago’s front office might finally decide it’s time for a fresh start. The team that Michael Jordan made famous needs new energy, and a coaching change could be the first domino to fall.
For a franchise with six championship banners hanging in the rafters, mediocrity just isn’t cutting it anymore.
