NBA: Six teams change head coaches ahead of 2026-27 season, including Bulls and Mavericks

Six NBA teams have changed head coaches and will begin the 2026-27 season under new leadership. The Chicago Bulls replaced Billy Donovan with Tiago Splitter. The Dallas Mavericks replaced Jason Kidd with Dusty May, and the Milwaukee Bucks replaced Doc Rivers with Taylor Jenkins.

Jamahl Mosley will coach the New Orleans Pelicans. Mosley was head coach of the Orlando Magic until last season and moved to the Pelicans in the same offseason. Sean Sweeney leads the Magic. The Portland Trail Blazers hired Micah Nori. Splitter was interim head coach of the Trail Blazers last season, so he has been connected with both the Trail Blazers and the Bulls.

The NBA has 30 teams, and head coaches are responsible for in-game decisions as well as overseeing team tactics and how players are used. Head coaching changes usually happen in the offseason before a season begins. The six teams in this group are also preparing for the opening of the season under their new leaders.

In numbers, six of the league's 30 teams changed head coaches, one-fifth of the league. The changes are not uniform. Some are former head coaches who moved to new teams, while others are first-time head coaches.

Teams with new coaches often take time to settle on how they will play early in the season. Players' roles and offensive and defensive principles must be adjusted to fit a new coach's approach. For that reason, coaches should not be judged on October and November results alone.

As the season progresses, the key questions will be how new head coaches use their players and how well they establish their team's style. Following each of the six teams' changes through late-season results and late-game execution will be essential to evaluating this season.

Background

Mosley was head coach of the Magic until last season and moved to the Pelicans in the same offseason. Splitter was interim head coach of the Trail Blazers last season.

Basketball Press view

Six of the league's 30 teams, or one-fifth, changing head coaches is a major change for the NBA this season. Because the group includes former head coaches moving to new teams and first-time head coaches, it is easy to compare how different teams are approaching the job. New coaching staffs can be misjudged by early results alone, so watching how each team's identity develops is important. The Pelicans and Magic, which both had moves in the same offseason, will draw particular attention.

Translated from the Japanese article by the Basketball Press editors. AI is used to assist in translation.