According to betting websites, the Philadelphia 76ers have emerged as the favorite to land Taylor Jenkins in the summer. The Memphis Grizzlies parted ways with their coach after five-plus years, despite a winning record. Jenkins, who has a 53.9% winning percentage with Memphis, will be one of the most coveted coaches in the summer.
The Philadelphia 76ers are the favorites to land Taylor Jenkins, per @BovadaOfficial
Philadelphia 76ers: +400
Chicago Bulls: +500
San Antonio Spurs: +700
Sacramento Kings: +900
Phoenix Suns: +1000
Miami Heat: +1200
New Orleans Pelicans: +1400
Toronto Raptors: +1600 pic.twitter.com/STbDNsmYkl— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 28, 2025
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Eastern Conference Team is the Favorite to Land Taylor Jenkins
Per Shams Charania, the Memphis Grizzlies called Jenkins into their office this morning and fired him in person. Right after the Grizzlies fired their coach, rumors started circulating about his next coaching job. He will be 41 years old at the beginning of next season, a great age to take over a project and run it for several years.
Taylor Jenkins was called into the Grizzlies office this morning and was fired in person, sources tell ESPN. Stunning dismissal. Jenkins now becomes one of the top head coaching candidates for the upcoming cycle. He had a .539 winning percentage as Grizzlies coach. https://t.co/fKRG7MNY58
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 28, 2025
According to Bovada Online Sportsbook, the Philadelphia 76ers at +400 are the favorites to land Jenkins. Next on the list are the Chicago Bulls at +500, followed by the San Antonio Spurs at +700, the Sacramento Kings at +900, and the Phoenix Suns at +1000. The interesting part is that the Miami Heat are sixth at +1200.
Do the Philadelphia 76ers Need Taylor Jenkins?
In June 2023, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that they had hired Nick Nurse as their head coach. In one and a half seasons as the head coach, Nurse is 70-85 as of March 28th. To be fair, he went 47-35 in his first season when he had Joel Embiid as his franchise player. Embiid played last year’s playoffs hurt, and the Sixers lost in the first round. This season, injuries have plagued Philly.
It feels right now as if the Sixers need a fresh start and a fresh face. The Sixers are hoping to keep their top-six first-round pick in the 2025 draft lottery. The team started this season as a championship contender after signing Paul George in the offseason. Yet, shortly into the season, they looked like a team fighting for a higher draft pick. Nurse is a championship-proven coach, but at this point, it looks like the Sixers can benefit from a fresh voice in the locker room.
Should Jenkins Seek a New Job?
In the summer of 2022, Jenkins and the Memphis Grizzlies signed a new multi-year contract extension. The terms of the deal were never disclosed, and we do not know whether he has years left on his contract.
Some coaches decide to stay away from the game for a short period if they are under contract after their firing. Per rules, teams have to pay the remaining years of the contract. Many NBA coaches have guaranteed contracts, and they receive compensation if they are fired. Managers have to make a decision in the midseason because paying two coaches at a time can increase the costs of the team.
Jenkins is one of the well-respected coaches in the league. Before joining the Grizzlies, he was an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks. He was part of the franchise-best season for the Hawks in 2014-15, when the team won 60 games.
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