Cleveland Cavaliers Eyeing Golden State Warriors Assistant as Potential Head Coach
With J.B. Bickerstaff gone , the Cleveland Cavaliers are in need of a new head coach for next season. As it stands, the front’s office is targeting Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson to fulfill that role.
Back in 2022, the Cavs made a splash during the offseason by acquiring All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz. The wisdom behind this move was to give Cleveland an elite scorer and to accelerate plans to compete in the postseason.
With Mitchell headlining a core of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs were poised to make a splash this year. While that could have been the case at the start of the season, the team’s momentum slowed down as the playoffs approached. As a result, they got the fourth seed with a record of 48 wins and 34 losses, and the right to face Paolo Banchero’s Orlando Magic in the first round.
After eliminating Orlando in seven games, the Cavaliers were knocked out of contention by Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. As a result, Bickerstaff was let go as the front office will have to face serious concerns about the roster for next season, including the prospect of trading either Garland or Mitchell.
Cleveland Cavaliers Targeting Kenny Atkinson As Next Head Coach
With Bickerstaff now out, Cleveland’s front office is back to the drawing board when it comes to a new head coach. According to a tweet by Jason Lloyd, though, Kenny Atkinson is emerging as a strong candidate for the job.
“Still hearing Kenny Atkinson as leader for Cavs job but don’t be surprised if Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant’s name emerges. Bryant was an assistant in Utah when Donovan Mitchell was there. Sounds like Dan Gilbert is heavily involved, more than I originally thought,” Lloyd tweeted.
Along with Atkinson, Johnnie Bryant is also seen as a potential replacement for Bickerstaff next season. The former is known for his time developing the Brooklyn Nets with Allen in it, while the latter’s relationship with Mitchell will come in useful for a potential contract extension. In any case, it looks like owner Dan Gilbert will have the final say on this matter.
It won’t be known yet who’ll come out on top as the Cavaliers’ new head coach. if that honor ends up with Atkinson, expect a new dynamic to come out of Cleveland next season.
