NBA Rumors: Will The Brooklyn Nets Fire Steve Nash After Early 2022 Playoff Exit?

As the Brooklyn Nets head toward a second-straight early postseason exit, there are questions about Steve Nash’s job security. Trailing the Boston Celtics 3-0 in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs, the Nets head coach has been the target of criticism.

Nash has come under fire for Brooklyn’s offensive strategy and Kevin Durant’s heavy workload. The Nets might not win a single playoff game, despite being favored to win the 2022 NBA Finals for most of the regular season.

Will the Nets fire Nash after being eliminated? Finding a new head coach is the most realistic significant change that Brooklyn can make this offseason.

Durant is expected to remain with the club, as he is signed through the 2025-26 season. Kyrie Irving is headed for free agency, but the point guard is largely expected to remain with the Nets. Ben Simmons’ trade value is at an all-time low after missing the entire season.

However, Nash is unlikely to be the “fall guy” for an extremely disappointing Nets’ season, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

The two-time NBA MVP was a surprise hire when he joined the Nets in 2020. Nash had no assistant or head-coaching experience before joining the club.

The Nets blew a 2-0 second-round series lead against the Milwaukee Bucks last year in Nash’s first season as the team’s head coach. In Nash’s second year, Brooklyn finished seventh in the East Aas Irving missed most of the season and James Harden essentially forced a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Nash said the Nets wouldn't trade Harden shortly before swapping the superstar for Simmons. Simmons won't play in Game 4 against the Celtics, as expected, likely staying off the court all season long.

“I wasn’t really expecting him to play. Like we’ve said all along, he’s trying to improve, he’s working through it. Reports that he was playing were from the outside, I don’t know where that came from,” Nash told reporters. “So we kind of stick to what we’ve always said; he’s still building himself up, still working through things, still trying to get strong enough and put himself in a position to play.”

Nash has two years left on his contract.