Within an hour of the Cleveland Cavaliers being eliminated from the playoffs, the rumors started that coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s job was in grave danger. General Manager Koby Altman reportedly had been frustrated with Bickerstaff over the course of last season, and a change in the big chair was said to be part of the plan to get Donovan Mitchell to sign an extension with the team this summer.
Thursday morning, it became official: Bickerstaff was fired after five seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human being,” Altman said in a statement. “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.”
Bickerstaff led the Cavaliers through a rebuild and to 48 wins and the second round of the playoffs this season — both steps forward for the organization — but there was the sense another tactician and voice was needed to get the most out of this team.
Two names quickly popped up as potential replacements (via Shams Charania of The Athletic) and both are former NBA head coaches: Kenny Atkinson (formerly with the Nets, now a Warriors assistant) and James Borrego (formerly with the Nets, now an assistant with the Pelicans). There likely will be more names mentioned, but with the Cavaliers seeing themselves as a win-now team built around Mitchell and Evan Mobley (with some possible roster changes coming this summer with Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland), they likely are seeking an experienced coach and not a first-timer.
More than the coaching search, the Cavaliers’ offseason plans hinge on what Mitchell chooses to do with the max contract extension he will be offered.
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