The next step on the coaching train for Atkinson will land him in Cleveland.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are hiring Kenny Atkinson as their head coach, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Atkinson has previously had head coaching experience, being at the helm of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2020. He has spent the past three seasons with the Golden State Warriors as a top assistant and Steve Kerr’s right-hand man, winning a championship over the Boston Celtics in 2022 in six games. He specializes in the pick-and-roll and his unique ability to relate and develop young players.
The Cavaliers extensive coaching search got underway on May 24 when they surprisingly fired J.B. Bickerstaff, and their focus was on a pair of coaches throughout the lengthy process: Atkinson and former Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego. It had been widely reported in the infancy stage of the search that Borrego, not Atkinson, was considered the front runner, but Atkinson gained momentum and traction in recent days.
Cavaliers’ governor Dan Gilbert, who had taken a significant step back from active leadership and day-to-day operations with the organization in the past few years, was reportedly leading the charge in the decision to bring Atkinson on board. The former Nets coach received a crucial vote of confidence and an important endorsement from legendary Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, according to Marc Stein. Gilbert is a Michigan State alum and attempted to hire Izzo himself back in 2010, so his word carries a large amount of weight and is like gold in Cleveland.
Embed from Getty ImagesTwo corner stone Cavaliers players have experience under their belt playing for Atkinson in Brooklyn, as both Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert were drafted by the Nets during his tenure. Allen, infamously, was a point of contention when Atkinson lost the Nets job, as star free agent signings Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving reportedly wanted Brooklyn to start veteran DeAndre Jordan over him. Jordan had most certainly seen his best days by that point, and Allen has grown into an All-Star in Cleveland, so Atkinson has since been proven right on that front.
Cleveland’s roster and franchise as a whole is in shambles at the moment. While the Cavaliers are reportedly confident that he will sign a contract extension, Donovan Mitchell can become a free agent in 2025 and if he does not agree to extend, he is expected to be dealt. If he does extend, point guard Darius Garland, out of Vanderbilt University, will reportedly explore trade possibilities with his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
Meanwhile, the fit between Allen and Evan Mobley continues to cause big problems on the offensive end of the floor, and Mobley’s strong performance at the five position in the playoffs, especially against the Orlando Magic, perhaps could make Allen a casualty as the team looks for an impact wing.
Filling their head coaching vacancy was the first domino to fall for the Cavaliers. There is still a lot of work to be done. Now, at least, Cleveland knows who will be steering the ship and leading their roster even if they do not quite yet know who will be playing on it.
