NBA First Head Coach Fired Odds: Billy Donovan of Chicago Bulls Favorite at +400

A new NBA season is about to tip off, which means, sure as day, we're about to start hearing which coaches are on the hot seat as GMs try to cover their butts for the stupid stuff they did (or failed to do) this summer.

And sportsbooks aren't missing out on the inevitable rumors and speculation, offering NBA odds on the first head coach to be fired for 2023-24. The majority of the league is aiming to be competitive this season, which means several teams are bound to be disappointed. Even given the flurry of coaching changes over the summer, we're likely to see some early cannings in the coming months.

Whose head will land on the chopping block? Check out the first NBA coach to be fired odds ahead of the 2023-24 tipoff on Tuesday. 

First NBA head coach to be fired odds

Coach Team Odds
Billy Donovan Bulls Chicago Bulls +400
Steve Clifford Hornets Charlotte Hornets +450
Chris Finch Timberwolves Minnesota Timberwolves +600
Jason Kidd Mavericks Dallas Mavericks +600
Wes Unseld Jr. Wizards Washington Wizards +800
Tyronn Lue Clippers Los Angeles Clippers +900
Tom Thibodeau Knicks New York Knicks +1,000
Chauncey Billups Trail Blazers Portland Trail Blazers +1,200
Willie Green Pelicans New Orleans Pelicans +1,400
Jacque Vaughn Nets Brooklyn Nets +1,600

Odds as of October 17, 2023.

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Favorite to be first NBA head coach fired

Billy Donovan, Bulls (+400)

Topping the odds board for the dubious honor of being the most likely NBA coach to get fired is Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls. He helms a poorly-assembled squad with very little upside that will be missing glue-guy PG Lonzo Ball again for the duration of this season. The Bulls have been fighting a losing battle with mediocrity since Ball's legs failed him, and with little roster flexibility, the requisite shake-up may come from the bench if they sputter out of the gate. 

Steve Clifford, Hornets (+450)

Expectations for the Charlotte Hornets aren't entirely high this season, with one of the lowest 2023-24 win totals projected for the NBA. But that still hasn't stopped Steve Clifford from ranking high here due to the Hornets' current vibe-check being a total nightmare. Dealing with everything from new ownership syndrome to the latest disturbing chapter in the Miles Bridges saga, and hoping to appease LaMelo Ball long-term in a small market, there may be a need for a cultural reset in Charlotte.

Chris Finch, Timberwolves (+600)

Finch topped the NBA Coach of the Year odds board just 12 short months ago, but last season was a rude awakening in Minnesota. The two-big pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert was awkward at best, and the Timberwolves are now mostly reliant on Anthony Edwards' upside to land them anywhere near the contention the Gobert trade was supposed to. As is usually the case when expectations aren't met, the coach could be among the first to go.

Jason Kidd, Mavericks (+600)

Not only is Kidd already on the hot seat after last season's lottery flameout, but he's crashed and burned at several stops, and has had a History of stubborn exits when teams want him to pivot. He's a painfully unimaginative offensive coach trying to manage two of this generation's best offensive virtuosos, with the Mavericks pitted — ever crucially — against Luka Doncic's dwindling patience with a middling franchise.

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Pick to be first head coach fired

A handicap of this market needs to start with process of elimination — and there's plenty to eliminate near the top of the board.

Tom Thibodeau has a close to 0% chance of being fired this season. Sure, it's New York; big market, pressure, yadda yadda. However, he has the Knicks headed in a consistently positive direction for the first time in two decades — his job's safer than yours. 

Same with Tyronn Lue. He's a proven top-tier coach who has gotten the most out of his injury-riddled roster for several seasons now, despite the Clippers never truly reaching expectations. If he was going to be fired anytime soon, it would've happened already.

Chauncey Billups won't be axed because the Blazers took too big of a PR hit to fire him so soon, during what's very clearly a rebuilding year. The Wizards also are openly going to be awful, and won't bother with the optics and finances of canning their coach, especially not when he's the son of a late franchise legend.

From there, Donovan and Clifford are both lame ducks, but neither franchise should be feeling quite the urgency to get immediate results this season — like the Mavs and Wolves are up against. 

Kidd seems like the choice in this market. Not only is he a bit of a known tool, but his team's urgency is likely the greatest, and he works for a no-nonsense owner who won't hesitate to pull the chute if the Mavs' locker-room dynamic isn't Luka-approved. 

PICK: Jason Kidd (+600)

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