The Cleveland Cavaliers coaching search has come to an end. It was announced on Monday morning that the team will be hiring Kenny Atkinson to replace J.B. Bickerstaff on the sidelines.
The two sides are working on a contract and the details should be hammered out soon. News of the hiring has been shared by ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers narrowed down their finalists to Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego. Ultimately, it was Atkinson who won out, as Borrego is expected to become a prominent name in the Detroit Pistons’ search for a head coach.
Kenny Atkinson is joining a Cleveland Cavaliers franchise that he has some experience working with previously. When he was head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, two of his players were Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen.
After 3+ seasons on the job with the Nets, he was fired. Kenny Atkinson joined the Los Angeles Clippers staff under Tyronn Lue for one season. After that, he joined the Golden State Warriors staff as a top assistant under Steve Kerr, where he was for three seasons.
Atkinson nearly took the head coaching job with the Charlotte Hornets two seasons ago, as he was announced as the hiring. But, days later, he changed his mind, leading to Steve Clifford getting the job.
Regarded as one of the better assistant coaches in the NBA, Kenny Atkinson is lauded for his development of young players. That is something that drew the Cleveland Cavaliers to him, as they have a few important pieces that need to be elevated, headlined by Evan Mobley.
With their head coaching search now complete, the Cleveland Cavaliers can move on to other items on their to-do list. With the 2024 NBA Draft just days away, we could see the team start reshaping their roster.
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have both been mentioned in trade rumors, as they are unlikely to share a backcourt next season. One of them will likely be moved, as the roster Kenny Atkinson has right now will be different in the coming weeks.
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