Nate McMillan Fired: Who Will Be the Next Coach to Get the Axe?

The Portland Trailblazers, in addition to making numerous deadline day trades, have fired head coach Nate McMillan after eight seasons. What other coaches could get the ax?

The trade deadline is when teams take stock of who they are and what they will be for the rest of the season. Some prepare for a playoff run and some begin rebuilding. Coaches get fired a lot as part of those rebuilding processes.

Here are five coaches who could be in for the same fate as McMillan.

Vinny Del Negro

The Los Angeles Clippers have lost eight of their last 13 games this season. The sparkle around this new team is starting to wear off.

The man who will be blamed is second-year head coach Vinny Del Negro. If they don't turn things around and this slump continues, Del Negro will get fired.

Alvin Gentry

Alvin Gentry has done a great job during his tenure with the Phoenix Suns, especially given what he's had to work with as their coach.

However, the team is getting old and is three games out of a playoff spot in the West. If things don't improve, the Suns could decide to get younger.

That would probably include getting rid of Gentry.

Avery Johnson

Avery Johnson cannot be a happy man. His New Jersey Nets are 15-29 and are now guaranteed to not get Dwight Howard for next season.

If Deron Williams leaves for Dallas, the Nets may very well decide that Johnson needs to go as well. His job may depend on Williams and how well this Gerald Wallace experiment works out.

Tyrone Corbin

No coach ever wants to be the guy who follows a legend, but that's exactly what Tyrone Corbin is. He took over last season after future Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan resigned his position.

Now, Utah is a team with some decent young talent, but they can't seem to put it together. They'll likely be out of the playoffs again. Corbin deserves more time to get this team better, but he may not get it.

Paul Silas

Paul Silas can hardly be blamed for how bad this Charlotte Bobcats team is. They are the most talentless roster every assembled.

However, if the Bobcats choose to really push toward getting better and getting free agents, Silas might be gone simply because he's not the guy to lead them to winning. He may just be there to coach while they are bad.