Bulls, Mavs, Blazers' Top NBA HC Candidates After Sean Sweeney Reportedly Hired by Magic
The Orlando Magic no longer have a vacancy at head coach, reportedly finalizing the hire of San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney on Friday.
While Orlando will move forward with Sweeney, there are still several teams looking for a new head coach. This includes the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers.
Here are a few potential candidates for each organization.
Chicago Bulls
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Chicago is searching for a replacement for head coach Billy Donovan, who stepped down after the team finished with a 31-51 record during the 2025-26 season.
Miami Heat associate head coach Chris Quinn is a potential option for the Bulls. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported that Chicago received permission to interview Quinn on May 22.
He's been with the Heat organization since 2014, starting off with their player development staff before getting promoted to associate head coach in 2024.
Another possible choice for the Bulls is Cleveland Cavaliers associate coach Johnnie Bryant.
According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Bryant is already on Chicago's radar.
He was previously an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks before joining Cleveland in 2024. Bryant was a finalist for the Phoenix Suns' head coaching vacancy last year.
Dallas Mavericks
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With the Mavericks parting ways with Jason Kidd on May 19, they're on the hunt for a new coach to lead a roster headlined by 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
Per NBA insiderย Marc Stein, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori could end up on Dallas' radar given how he's regarded across the league.
Nori has been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2009, spending the past five seasons with the Timberwolves. Minnesota has won at least one playoff series in three consecutive years.
Tiago Splitter is also an intriguing option for the Mavericks after serving as interim head coach of the Trail Blazers last season.
Splitter has a connection to Dallas' new front office, as general manager Mike Schmitz worked with him in Portland for four years (h/t Christian Clark of The Athletic).
Before becoming a coach, Splitter played seven seasons in the NBA and won a championship with the Spurs in 2014.
Portland Trail Blazers
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While Portland is coming off its first playoff appearance since 2021 under Splitter, the team could still go in a different direction at head coach for the 2026-27 season.
On May 21, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy "has emerged as one of the finalists" for the Trail Blazers' job opening.
Van Gundy served as head coach of the Knicks from 1995 through 2002 before a stint with the Houston Rockets from 2003-07. He compiled a 430-318 overall record and helped New York make an NBA Finals appearance in 1999.
The 64-year-old eventually left coaching to become a television analyst, but joined the Clippers' staff ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The Trail Blazers may also decide to hire Jerry Stackhouse after previously interviewing him, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Stackhouse played in the NBA for 18 years and earned a pair of All-Star nods before transitioning to a coaching role following his retirement. He's spent the past two seasons as an assistant for the Golden State Warriors.
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