The Cleveland Cavaliers are searching for their next head coach after parting ways with JB Bickerstaff. Cleveland has several respected suitors for the job including interviewees for the Los Angeles Lakers coaching vacancy. Moreover, a renowned NBA analyst revealed eye-opening insight on preferences between the Cleveland and Los Angeles head jobs.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst is rumored to believe that candidates may prefer to coach the Cavs rather than the Lakers, based on conversations he has had. Living in Cleveland versus Los Angeles would present a different experience for the candidates. Yet, the Cavs saw greater success in the 2024 NBA playoffs and arguably have a more promising young core. In addition, rumors hold that the Cavs would pay more to land their next head coach than the Lakers would.
Two names that have surfaced amid Cleveland's search include James Borrego and Kenny Atkinson, both of which are also interested in the Lakers' opportunity.
Borrego was a head coach with the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2022. Before that, he served as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs alongside Gregg Popovich. Borrego's experience with both a developing and championship-contending team could entice the Cavs.
Meanwhile, Kenny Atkinson serves as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. One of his most notable experiences is his head coaching tenure with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020. Atkinson was instrumental in transforming the Nets from a poor-performing team to a respectable playoff squad. Atkinson's knack for player development might serve Cleveland well.
Would Borrego or Atkinson choose the Cavs over the Lakers if offered the head coaching position? The answer will lie in the coming weeks as Cleveland finalizes its search.
Cavs look to make jump with new leadership
JB Bickerstaff joined the Cavs in 2019 as an associate head coach. Cleveland promoted him to head coach later in the 2019-2020 season. Bickerstaff posted a 170-159 regular season record and a 6-11 postseason mark during his tenure. He helped the Cavs to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons (2023 and 2024). Moreover, Cleveland won a first-round playoff series and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2018 under Bickerstaff.
Despite Bickerstaff's relative success, the Cavs decided to go in another direction.
“J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human-being,” Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman said, via NBA.com. “Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership.”
“The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. We owe a ton of gratitude for everything J.B. has contributed to the Cavaliers and his engagement in the Cleveland community. We wish J.B., his wife Nikki, and their three children the best in their future endeavors,” Altman added.
It will be interesting to see who the Cavs replace JB Bickerstaff with as their coaching search intensifies.
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