The NBA's annual coaching carousel, not surprisingly, is picking up some steam

Also: LeBron and the Lakers, Giannis and the Bucks, Kawhi and the Clippers -- plus coverage of the Suns, Hornets, Wizards, Pistons, Wolves and Mavs -- all feature in my latest around-the-league notes

Let's dig into some around-the-league Intel on a Tuesday because there is LOTS percolating on the NBA grapevine and, as you know, any day that ends in Y is a good time to do so ...

There were only two in-season coaching changes in 2023-24 ... three if you count that early April announcement by Charlotte's Steve Clifford that he would be stepping down at season's end.

All three, furthermore, involved lottery teams. Brooklyn fired Jacque Vaughn on Feb. 19 and recently hired Sacramento's Jordi Fernández as Vaughn's full-time successor after an interim stint for Kevin Ollie. Charlotte is in the midst of an ongoing search, believed to be headlined by Celtics assistant Charles Lee and ESPN's JJ Redick, for Clifford’s replacement. And Washington moved Wes Unseld Jr. to a front-office role in late January and is conducting its own search for a full-time successor ... with interim coach Brian Keefe said to be receiving real consideration to stay in the role.

Playoff results, however, always throw curveballs into the coaching carousel and this offseason is no exception. First-round exits in which their teams combined to win one game have thrust Lakers coach Darvin Ham and Suns coach Frank Vogel into immediate job jeopardy, even though this is Year 1 for Vogel in Phoenix and despite Ham making a trip to the Western Conference finals and winning the league's inaugural In-Season Tournament in his brief stint.