NBA coaching carousel keeps spinning: Nuggets staff may stay intact after all

While the NBA playoffs get deeper and we’re two games away from possibly having the NBA Finals set, rumors and speculation are running rampant. Major changes are coming both in player and coach personnel. Some teams have already gotten started, while others are waiting to get involved in the action.

On Sunday, NBA insider Marc Stein dropped loads of fresh intel on his Substack, including some significant updates on the status of some prominent coaching vacancies. We’ve been closely monitoring the Lakers opening, as Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman has been a candidate mentioned for weeks.

Lakers head coaching job update

While it’s a tough break for Adelman, it would be great for Nuggets fans to see Adelman remain in Denver and the coaching staff to stay intact. In his latest piece, Stein suggested that recent rumbling confirms that all signs point to JJ Redick being the choice in LA. 

This has been rumored for weeks, but Stein added that he’s already hearing rumors about possible assistants for JJ’s staff. Those names include other candidates Sam Cassell and James Borrego, plus current Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley.

Cavaliers in need of a new head coach

There is now another NBA head coaching vacancy since the Cleveland Cavaliers have chosen to part ways with their head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff. Bickerstaff helped turn things around in Cleveland after LeBron James’ second departure from the Cavs, but apparently, a second-round exit wasn’t enough for him to keep the job.

Stein listed favorites for the Cavs job such as Terry Stotts and Kenny Atkinson as well as other candidates including Borrego, Dave Joerger, and Johnnie Bryant. Joerger has worked for the Cavs in the past as a consultant and Bryant has a strong relationship with Cavs star Donovan Mitchell.

Does this mean Adelman is staying in Denver?

As you can see, Adelman’s name did not come up at all during Stein’s piece. Obviously, things can change, but as of now, it doesn’t look like there will be a job for David Adelman as a head coach. It’s unlikely that any of the four remaining playoff teams will fire their coach, so that may well be the end of this cycle. 

Adelman could always seek a change of scenery, especially if he feels a more prominent assistant job may help him ultimately find a head job. But he’s got a pretty good thing going in Denver, and if the Nuggets keep contending for titles, it’s only a matter of time before Adelman stops getting passed over and gets his shot.