Predicting the Next NBA Head Coaches to Get the Axe

The 2012-13 NBA season is over for 22 franchises, thus leaving owners and general managers to discuss the future of their respective organizations. Free agency and the NBA draft are two key areas of focus, but oftentimes there are changes to be made at the top.

As appears to be the case with every passing offseason, the coaching carousel is open and jobs will be on the line.

Thus far, we've seen six head coaches get the axe from their previous franchise. Unfortunately, the coaching casualties are unlikely to be limited to that number.

So who could be on their way out?

Already Gone

Jim Boylan, Milwaukee Bucks

Jim Boylan coached the Milwaukee Bucks to a record of 22-28 as their interim head coach. After going 4-12 to close out the regular season and being swept by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs, however, Boylan was let go.

No replacement has been found just yet.

P.J. Carlesimo, Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets promoted P.J. Carlesimo to the role of interim head coach after firing Avery Johnson 28 games into the 2012-13 regular season. In that time, Carlesimo coached the Nets to a record of 35-19.

After losing to a shorthanded Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs, however, Carlesimo was let go. No one has been hired to replace him.

Doug Collins, Philadelphia 76ers

Doug Collins resigned after three seasons as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. In that time, Collins led the Sixers to two postseason appearances and a berth in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

No replacement has been named.

Mike Dunlap, Charlotte Bobcats

Mike Dunlap spent just one season with the Charlotte Bobcats, creating a far more competitive team than the one we saw in 2011-12. During the 2012-13 season, Charlotte improved their win percentage by .150 points.

Charlotte decided to go in a new direction and has yet to name their coach for the next season.

Lawrence Frank, Detroit Pistons

Lawrence Frank spent two seasons as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons before he was let go at season's end. In that time, the Pistons saw a decrease in winning percentage.

Detroit has yet to decide which available name will serve as their next head coach, but Phil Jackson is advising their search.

Byron Scott, Cleveland Cavaliers

Byron Scott spent three years at the helm of the Cleveland Cavaliers, never once topping 25 wins in a season. After the Cavs went 24-58 in 2012-13, Scott was let go in favor of a fresh start for this young team.

Cleveland has named Mike Brown as Scott's replacement (via ESPN).

Mike D'Antoni, Los Angeles Lakers

2012-13 W-L Record: 40-32

Career W-L Record: 428-371

Season Result: Lost in First Round

As it presently stands, Mike D'Antoni's job is safe with the Los Angeles Lakers. With that being said, the ultimate wild card is about to step in and potentially decide whether or not D'Antoni returns.

Dwight Howard is a free agent, and the Lakers are desperate to re-sign him—there could be casualties because of that fact.

According to Serena Winters of LakersNation.com, general manager Mitch Kupchak reiterated that Mike D'Antoni's job is safe. Per his own words, it's irrelevant what an individual thinks of a coach.

Winning is all that matters.

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I think Dwight likes winning and he likes performing at a high level. I think he’s fine with Mike D’Antoni, but I’m not really concerned if a player likes a coach. So I don’t ask that question. Our coaches are evaluated on wins and losses. That’s how we evaluate the team so I’ve never came out and asked a player, ‘Do you like this guy?’ That’s really not relevant to me.

"

Coach D'Antoni has lost 14 of his past 15 postseason games.

Kupchak can talk this talk, but if it comes down to Howard or D'Antoni, the choice is thoughtless. D-12 could be L.A.'s franchise player, and D'Antoni has never once reached the NBA Finals.

D'Antoni gets a lot of wrongful flack, but if Howard wants him out, there's a strong possibility of that happening.

Vinny Del Negro, Los Angeles Clippers

2012-13 W-L Record: 56-26

Career W-L Record: 210-184

Season Result: Lost in First Round

According to Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles, head coach Vinny Del Negro's future is undecided. His contract is set to expire in June, and he will meet with owner Donald Sterling to discuss a new contract or his potential firing.

Clippers vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks confirmed the belief that the players will have an impact on the future of this team.

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"We do the exit interviews for a reason," Sacks said. "We want to have feedback from our players to hear what they have to say. Whatever we do, we do as an organization. Of course you're going to listen to your star players. You're going to listen to all your employees when you're making these decisions, but I don't think that's unusual."

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Everyone may have their say, but we can assume who L.A. is focusing on most.

Franchise point guard Chris Paul is an unrestricted free agent, leaving him with the option to sign with any franchise he deems suitable. With this being known, the Clippers will likely extend the most lucrative offer possible to CP3.

Money and job security is intriguing, but Paul will have a say in where the organization goes next, and Del Negro could be a casualty of those discussions.

Larry Drew, Atlanta Hawks

2012-13 W-L Record: 44-38

Career W-L Record: 128-102

Season Result: Lost in First Round

Larry Drew doesn't deserve to be fired, but the Atlanta Hawks have been cleaning house since hiring general manager Danny Ferry. After losing in the first round, the instant rebuilding process may just reach the head coach.

An undeserving casualty, but a loss nonetheless.

According to John N. Mitchell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Drew is already considering other coaching vacancies. At the top of his list appears to be the Philadelphia 76ers, which is a sign of Drew's confidence in his future with the Hawks.

He's a very good head coach, but sometimes an organization simply opts to move in a new direction.

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"Larry [Drew] loves coaching, and he wants to continue as a head coach," said the league source. "He's in a difficult situation, and it's hard to say what will happen in Atlanta."

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At this stage of the evaluation process, it's quite unclear what will transpire.

The Hawks cleaned house by trading franchise player Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets. They've also built for the future, as just three players have guaranteed deals going into the 2013-14 season.

Drew could join those players as free agents.

Lindsey Hunter, Phoenix Suns

2012-13 W-L Record: 12-29

Career W-L Record: 12-29

Season Result: Missed Playoffs

Lindsey Hunter's time with the Phoenix Suns has been turbulent to say the least. With that being said, hardly any of the issues in Phoenix have been a result of Hunter's job as head coach.

With the firing of general manager Lance Blanks, however, it appears as if Hunter could be on his way out.

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Suns firing of Blanks damages Lindsey Hunter's chances of keeping coaching job. Blanks was Hunter's guy. Others in org. less sold on Hunter.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) April 22, 2013"

Hunter may end up as an unfortunate casualty of the circumstances.

Much like Larry Drew with the Atlanta Hawks, Hunter was hired by a general manager that is no longer in office. As often appears to be the case, GMs prefer to hire a head coach that they view as their guy, per se.

According to Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News, Hunter has already interviewed for the Detroit Pistons' coaching vacancy.

Keith Smart, Sacramento Kings

2012-13 W-L Record: 28-54

Career W-L Record: 93-170

Season Result: Missed Playoffs

According to Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal-Times, the Sacramento Kings may fire head coach Keith Smart. This comes after Smart has spent two full seasons at the helm of the team, posting nearly identical winning percentages in each season.

Marc Stein of ESPN confirms that Smart could be a coaching casualty, noting that general manager Geoff Petrie may join him in the ranks of unemployment.

With the Kings receiving new ownership, changes are to be expected throughout the organization. Unfortunately for Smart, that includes head coach, where the Kings have hired and fired five men since Rick Adelman departed in 2006.

As for Smart's specific case, it may have ended this way even if management was remaining the same.

Per James Ham of ESPN TrueHoop's Cowbell Kingdom, the Kings players have questioned Smart's methods of coaching. Point guard Isaiah Thomas and former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans both stated that the constant change was negatively impacting their quality of play.

Regardless of why it happens, it appears as if Smart will be out of Sacramento.