Alabama is currently playing its way out of contention for an NCAA Tournament bid meaning the heat may be turning up in Tuscaloosa on Avery Johnson.

This comes after the Crimson Tide failed to capitalize on last season’s roster, which featured a future NBA first-round pick in Collin Sexton leading the way, and nearly missed the NCAA Tournament. If not for a late run in the SEC Tournament, Alabama would have likely watched the NCAA Tournament from home, which is certainly something that could happen this season.

During his weekly appearance on Birmingham-based WJOX 94.5 FM radio program “The Roundtable,” Paul Finebaum shared an interesting rumor he heard regarding Johnson over the weekend during the latest NBA’s All-Star Weekend. The NBA All-Star game was held in Charlotte this season, which is of course also home to the SEC Network.

“There is an anxiety connected to (Johnson). I’ll say this — and I don’t think this is going to happen but I think the fact that it was even discussed means there is a little uncertainty among some people where I am here at NBA All-Star Weekend — there was talk that Avery’s people had put out some feelers with the New Orleans team about the vacancy at the GM position,” Finebaum said on the show.

“I’m hearing from the NBA side that will likely not happen but the fact the conversation at least at a high altitude we even being thrown up means something. I’m not one normally to just throw stuff around but I don’t think this is an ideal situation when you juxtapose today versus a year ago when this team was rolling along toward a really nice, at least they thought, NCAA seed and then they got sidetracked and had to hit the shot to get into the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis.

“I don’t think it’s at a Defcon level but there is a lot of uneasiness.”

Alabama currently has a record of 15-10 overall and 6-6 in league play after dropping its last two games and seven of its previous 12 overall. While Johnson does have an extensive background in the NBA, it’s hard to imagine a failed SEC coach landing a job in the NBA but you can’t blame Johnson’s representatives for at least trying.

After all, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.