CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers are in search of a new head coach after firing J.B. Bickerstaff on Thursday. The 45-year-old Bickerstaff was let go despite winning 99 regular season games over the past two years and leading the Cavs to back-to-back playoff appearances.
Two names have already been thrown out as potential candidates for the Cavs by two of the league's top reporters.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported Bickerstaff's dismissal, mentioned Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson as a candidate "to monitor." Wojnarowski noted that Atkinson coached current Cavalier players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert to the playoffs while serving as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
Atkinson, 56, has been an assistant with the Warriors for the past three seasons. He spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers, working under former Cavs head coach Ty Lue. Atkinson was the head coach of the Nets for four years, compiling a 118-190 record with one playoff appearance.
Shams Charania, NBA insider for The Athletic and Stadium, mentions Atkinson as a candidate for the Cavaliers along with New Orleans assistant James Borrego.
Borrego, like Atkinson, has NBA head coaching experience. The 46-year-old was the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018-2022, plus served as interim head coach for 30 games in Orlando in 2015. His teams never made it to the postseason, however, as Borrego amassed an overall record of 148-183 as a head coach.
Other names to keep in mind are Miami assistant coach Chris Quinn, former Portland head coach Terry Stotts, and Denver assistant David Adelman.
Keep in mind that the Cavs' coaching search comes amid negotiations with star guard Donovan Mitchell for a long-term contract. The team has the 27-year-old under contract for next season with a player option for 2025-26. There has been speculation that if the Cavaliers are unable to convince Mitchell to sign a contract extension this summer, the team will trade the five-time All-Star.
"There is a lot of optimism around the Cavs that they're going to get a commitment from Donovan Mitchell on a 4-year $208 million dollar extension," Charania said Thursday during FanDuel's Run It Back NBA show.
To get that commitment from Mitchell, the Cavaliers will have to find a head coach that he'll approve.