Report: Cavs could consider Warriors’ Atkinson after Bickerstaff firing originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking for a new head coach.
JB Bickerstaff was fired by the franchise on Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported and the team later confirmed.
Wojnarowski mentioned Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson as a potential replacement for Bickerstaff. He spent four seasons as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, where he worked with two current Cavs in Allen and Caris LeVert.
Atkinson, an assistant coach with the Warriors for the past three seasons, has been linked to several head coaching vacancies in recent years but has yet to accept a job.
Bickerstaff, 45, took over as the Cavs’ interim head coach in February 2020 when John Beilein resigned. He went on to have four full seasons in the role, compiling a 170-159 record with playoff appearances in each of the past two seasons.
This past season was Bickerstaff’s most successful season in terms of the postseason. The Cavs earned the No. 4 seed and defeated the Orlando Magic in the first round before falling to the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the second round. Injuries to Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell ended any chances of overcoming the upset in the conference semifinals.
The future of the Cavs is now in flux as president of basketball operations Koby Altman must weigh what to do with the roster. Mitchell has one year left on his contract and could be a trade candidate if he doesn’t sign an extension, while the big man combination of Allen and Evan Mobley has produced mixed results.
“JB is a respected NBA coach and an incredible human being,” Altman said. “Over the past four years, he has helped create a culture that gradually pushes players to become the best versions of themselves. These types of decisions are never easy, especially when you look back at where the rebuilding of the franchise began under his leadership. The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to advance a franchise and ultimately compete for championships. We owe a debt of gratitude for all that JB has contributed to the Cavaliers and his involvement in the Cleveland community. We wish JB, his wife Nikki and their three children the best in their future endeavors.”
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