What NBA playoff coaches are on the hot seat? These five can't afford early exit

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What NBA playoff coaches are on the hot seat? These five can't afford early exit

Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Thu, Apr 16, 2026 ·

3 min read

NBA Play-In Tournament photos showcase final push to the postseason

As the NBA Play‑In Tournament unfolds, every possession carries extra weight with postseason spots on the line.

See the action and emotion from across the tournament as teams battle through high‑stakes games.

Above, LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

(Jacob Kupferman, Getty Images)

NBA Play-In Tournament photos showcase final push to the postseason

(Jacob Kupferman, Getty Images)

1. Jamahl Mosley, Orlando Magic

The fifth-year coach could be coaching for his job when the Magic face the Charlotte Hornets to close out the Eastern Conference play-in tournament . Even a first-round exit to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons might lead to Mosley's firing after a disjointed season in which the trio of Paolo Banchero , Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane struggled to gel together offensively. Orlando spent four first-round draft picks on Bane last offseason to be a contender, not relegated to play-in fodder, and Mosley might pay the price in the days ahead.

2. Tiago Splitter , Portland Trail Blazers

The interim Blazers coach isn't on this list because of his performance. He just led Portland to its first playoff appearance since 2021 after starting the season with coach Chauncey Billups arrested following the first game as part of federal indictments related to illegal gambling. But new owner Tom Dundon has not committed to hiring Splitter, nor officially parted ways with Billups, and it will make for a complicated situation whenever the Blazers' season ends.

Houston Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka talks with forward Kevin Durant (7) during the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Toyota Center on April 10, 2026.

3. Ime Udoka, Houston Rockets

Among NBA teams to qualify for the postseason, only the Charlotte Hornets had a worse crunch time NET rating during the regular season than the Rockets. Despite the addition of Kevin Durant last offseason, their halfcourt offense has devolved at key moments and Udoka has thus far not adjusted well to the flaws or the absence of injured point guard Fred Van Vleet. Losing in the first round to the injury-riddled Los Angeles Lakers would mean Houston dropped a series in which it almost certainly got out-coached given the personnel discrepancies.

4. Mike Brown, New York Knicks

Brown is only in his first season with the Knicks and the team finished with two more regular-season wins than it did a year ago under former coach Tom Thibodeau. But the expectations are high in New York. A first-round exit against the Atlanta Hawks , combined with the reality that Brown was not the top choice for Knicks' brass to begin with last offseason, could lead to a quick change on the bench.

5. Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers

Nurse hasn't succeeded with the Sixers like he once did with the Toronto Raptors , in large part because of injuries and roster construction. Getting out of the play-in tournament after a bounce-back regular season might be enough to give Nurse another year, particularly since Paul George and Joel Embiid again missed large chunks of the season. But Nurse would probably be wise to not get swept by the Celtics in the first round, just to be safe.