Cavs add 2 more head coaching candidates amid intense search
The Cleveland Cavaliers, after exiting the 2024 NBA playoffs in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, relieved head coach JB Bickerstaff of his duties; while Bickerstaff has been able to lead the Cavs to year by year improvements, at least in terms of where they finished the season on the league’s totem pole, the Cleveland front office clearly wanted a change in leadership to try and get the team to the next level.
According to reports, the Cavs are beginning their search for the team’s next head coach by interviewing Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego, two former head coaches who worked as assistants for the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans, respectively, this past season. But the Cavs’ search won’t be limited to those two, as they are casting a much wider net.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Cavs “have received permission” to interview two other assistant coaches from other teams: New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, as well as Miami Heat top assistant Chris Quinn.
It remains to be seen which direction the Cavs will be taking with their new hire. Will they opt for someone who has experience leading a bench in the past in Kenny Atkinson or James Borrego? Or will they take a shot at someone who doesn’t have head coaching experience, but has shown a ton of coaching potential?
