Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavalirs bolstered their wing depth Wednesday by selecting University of California, Berkeley forward Jaylon Tyson with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft.

---

Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Jaylon Tyson

Position: SF/PF

Height: 6'7"

Pro Comparison: Caleb Martin

Scouting Report: Jaylon Tyson has become one of the draft's most advanced on-ball forwards with handles and footwork for self-creation into drives, jumpers and floaters. Tyson's shotmaking off his own dribble and post moves have powered his scoring production. He just hasn't been as efficient off the ball, and some teams may question how he'll adjust and fit after this year's high usage.

Cavaliers 2024-25 Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)

Darius Garland, PG: $36.7M (2028)

Donovan Mitchell, SG: $35.4M (2026)

Jarrett Allen, C: $20M (2026)

Caris LeVert, SG: $16.6M (2025)

Max Strus, SG: $15.2M (2027)

Evan Mobley, PF: $11.2M (2025)

Georges Niang, PF: $8.5M (2026)

Dean Wade, PF: $6.2M (2026)

Ty Jerome, SG: $2.6M (2025)

Sam Merrill, SG: $2.2M (2025)

Craig Porter Jr., G: $1.9M (2026)

Jaylon Tyson, SF/PF: Rookie scale contract

Free Agents

Isaac Okoro, SG: RFA

Tristan Thompson, C: UFA

Damian Jones, C: UFA

Marcus Morris Sr., SF: UFA

Pete Nance, PF: RFA

Isaiah Mobley, PF: RFA

Emoni Bates, SG: RFA

During his collegiate career, Tyson was a well-traveled player and a model of perseverance, as he played at three different schools in three seasons.

After playing sparingly for Texas and averaging just 1.8 points per game in 2021-22, Tyson transferred to Texas Tech and averaged 10.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.4 three-pointers made and 1.3 assists per contest.

Tyson then transferred to Cal for his junior campaign and truly broke out, putting up 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 three-pointers made and 1.2 steals per contest.

He also shot 46.5 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from beyond the arc en route to earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Jaylon Tyson’s 27 points leads Cal to a win over Oregon for their 3rd consecutive victory! 🐻

Highlights ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/0U6W0mLnve

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 25, 2024

Tyson may not be a star-caliber player in the NBA like he was his final year in college, but Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman compares him to Caleb Martin, who is a highly effective wing and played a huge role in the Miami Heat reaching the NBA Finals two seasons ago.

Most teams would love to have a player like Martin, and Tyson can carve out a long and successful NBA career if he reaches that level.

After spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach, Kenny Atkinson is back as a head coach in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Atkinson's representatives are working on a contract with the team.

His impending arrival was met with plenty of excitement on social media:

BIG HIRE

— Riggs (@KyleRiggins) June 24, 2024

https://twitter.com/NewMediaSports_/status/1805244001085227474

Ig this making Donovan stay

— illicit ✞ (@Illicitraps) June 24, 2024

Im not even mad about this move.

Atkinson is the exact type of coach Cleveland needs to succeed.

— Grant (@grantsglimpse) June 24, 2024

💪🏽💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/subUh664mt

— Elvis JR💙 (@ElpatronSFC) June 24, 2024

That’s a great hire. He worked with Allen in Brooklyn as well.

— Knowledge (@mustkn0w) June 24, 2024

https://twitter.com/3Ps_Pod/status/1805243499140334025

W hire ngl he’s nice and can unlock garland

— me (@miloh631) June 24, 2024

Great second opportunity for Kenny with the right type of team for him to coach. Built-in familiarity with Allen and LeVert. Expect some roster moves too, but Cavs will be a lot harder to play against in the East, there's no doubt about that. https://t.co/OQ0NEG6kMU

— Alan Hahn (@alanhahn) June 24, 2024

This is a really solid hire for the Cavs https://t.co/CYr2doKiFV

— Matt Williams (@MattWi77iams) June 24, 2024

EVAN MOBLEY 20/10/4/3 SEASON NEXT YEAR https://t.co/WSAfeEcj5B pic.twitter.com/R3XwXhI5s5

— jack (@TheCavsJack) June 24, 2024

I really like the Cavs hire of Kenny Atkinson. Anybody around the Nets when he was the head coach is very complimentary of his player development abilities. Has worked with Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert. A well-liked guy in the league -- and comes from Steve Kerr and GSW.

— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) June 24, 2024

The Cavaliers fired J.B. Bickerstaff in the wake of the team's second-round playoff loss to the Boston Celtics.

Even though the Cavs made the postseason in each of the past two years, they often struggled to win games once they got there. They lost in five games to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2023 playoffs.

Cleveland was able to advance to the second round this year by surviving a seven-game series against the Orlando Magic in the opening round.

The victory over the Magic was the Cavs' first playoff series win since the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals.

In the aftermath of the Cavaliers' season-ending loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd reported Bickerstaff's job was in "serious jeopardy" in part because multiple players on the team questioned his "strategies, game management, practice habits and accountability measures, privately and publicly, throughout the season."

Atkinson comes in at a very significant moment for the Cavs. Donovan Mitchell is eligible to sign a four-year, $208 million extension this offseason. If he doesn't take the deal, the organization would seem likely to explore trade options to avoid losing him in free agency next summer when he can opt out of his current deal.

If Mitchell does sign the extension, The Athletic's report noted Darius Garland's representatives would speak with Cavs management about potential trade opportunities for their client.

There are also questions about the fit in the frontcourt between Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. It's probably not a coincidence that Mobley looked much better in the playoffs when Allen was out of the lineup with a rib injury.

Mobley is eligible to sign a max extension for the first time this summer worth up to $215 million over five years. Allen is under contract for two years and $40 million.

All of this sounds like a lot to put on a new head coach, but Atkinson has experience working with teams in transition. He did a terrific job in four seasons with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-17 to 2019-20 in the aftermath of the Kevin Garnett-Deron Williams era.

The Nets went from a 20-win team in Atkinson's first season to winning 42 games and making the playoffs in his third season. He wound up resigning in March 2020 after the roster dramatically changed with the signings of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July 2019.

Regardless of what happens with the Cavs this summer, they will be starting at a much better place in terms of talent than what Atkinson had when he was first hired by the Nets. This is still a playoff-caliber roster with the potential for more depending on what moves the front office makes and how quickly Atkinson acclimates himself to the player's skill sets.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly "confident" All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell will sign a long-term extension with the franchise this offseason.

Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported the Cavs front office plans to present Mitchell with a four-year, $209 million extension offer as soon as their coaching search concludes.

James Borrego and Kenny Atkinson are reportedly the two finalists for the vacancy.

Mitchell's decision on the contract extension offer is by far the biggest swing factor in the Cavs' offseason.

If Mitchell refuses to sign the extension, the front office will be forced to explore trade options. Mitchell has a $37.1 million player option for the 2025-26 season he's almost certain to decline, and declining the extension would be a sign he wants to explore his options in free agency. Cleveland was not Mitchell's first choice when requesting a trade from the Utah Jazz, and it's possible he could have eyes for a starrier market.

If Mitchell signs the extension, the front office will breathe a collective sigh of relief but may have to explore trading their other All-Star guard. Darius Garland's representation could reportedly approach the Cavs about a trade, as Garland has spent the last two seasons playing in Mitchell's shadow.

An All-Star in 2022, Garland has seen his usage shrink as Mitchell takes up the lion's share of the offensive load. It's fair to wonder how well Garland and Mitchell work together as a tandem over the long term, but general manager Koby Altman has been a firm believer in the roster he built.

"I don't see big major sweeping changes. I just don't," Altman told reporters after the Cavs were eliminated from the playoffs. "Like I said, more data speaks to [how] this works than it doesn't. You can't win 99 games over the regular season, make it to a conference semis and be like, this doesn't work. Again, this just year two of this iteration of this core being together and I have a lot of excitement for the future for this group and belief in this group."

Garland is under contract for four more seasons, so he does not have a lot of leverage in this situation. However, if he's truly unhappy in his role, Altman might have to explore a move that better fits with Mitchell.

Mitchell remaining with the Cavs would also likely mean the team keeps Jarrett Allen on the roster. NBA insider Marc Stein reported Mitchell is a "fan" of Allen, who has also has a little awkward positional redundancy on the Cavs with Evan Mobley.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Kenny Atkinson have reportedly agreed to a five-year contract to become the team's next head coach, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski first reported the team decided to hire the Golden State Warriors assistant, although the two sides were in negotiations over a contract.

The development of young forward Evan Mobley was reportedly a factor in their decision.

The Cavaliers are especially eager for Atkinson's player development program to impact young 7-footer Evan Mobley, sources said. Atkinson has a strong history with Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert from their time together with the Nets.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 24, 2024

The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd reported earlier in the morning the Cavs were "hoping" to have a new head coach before the 2024 NBA draft gets underway Wednesday. Atkinson and New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego had emerged as the finalists.

"Borrego, sources said, was the front-runner as of last week, until Cleveland's front office met with Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert on Wednesday," per The Athletic. "Atkinson's candidacy gained considerable momentum after the meeting between Gilbert and team executives."

From the outset, Borrego and Atkinson were positioned as the standout candidates to replace J.B. Bickerstaff. They boast similar profiles as offensive specialists with previous experience as NBA head coaches.

Borrego had a .458 winning percentage in his four years with the Charlotte Hornets and guided them to the play-in tournament in 2021-22. Atkinson went .383 in his four seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, which doesn't tell the full story of how well he did to rebuild a franchise starting from scratch when he arrived.

When it comes to Cleveland, no question looms larger than the future of Donovan Mitchell.

The Athletic reported the Cavs are preparing a four-year, $209 million offer to the five-time All-Star. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto previously reported on June 12 the expectation among "several" NBA executives was that Mitchell will re-sign.

Atkinson is in a somewhat tricky position because the nature of his job hinges so much on what Mitchell decides.

If the 27-year-old doesn't want to re-sign, then Cleveland might have little choice but to trade him since he'll be a year out from free agency. The Cavs sans Mitchell would still be a playoff contender, but they'd clearly take a step backward.

Were he to commit his future to the organization, Atkinson would be tasked with delivering immediate results. Anything short of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2025 would probably be deemed a disappointment.

With the trio of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, one would think there's enough to make this opportunity attractive regardless of what happens with Mitchell.

Though James Borrego was initially seen as the favorite to land the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job, Kenny Atkinson is reportedly "gaining steam," per NBA insider Marc Stein.

Stein also reported that Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori is in contention for the job.

He added that the Cavs' pick for head coach will likely "have a direct impact" on the Detroit Pistons' search for a head coach after the team parted ways with Monty Williams on Monday. Stein noted that the Pistons are interested in Borrego.

The Cavs are looking for a replacement for JB Bickerstaff, who was let go by Cleveland after the team's second-round playoff exit against the Boston Celtics.

The Cavs are seemingly down to two coaches in their search as Stein reported Thursday that Borrego and Atkinson are the "known finalists" for the job. If the Pistons take Borrego off the board before Cleveland can hire him, it could make the coaching search much more simple.

But Detroit is still very early on in its coaching hunt whereas the Cavs have been searching for their next coach since May. Cleveland completed interviews with both Atkinson and Borrego in May.

Atkinson has been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2008, spending the first four years of his career with the New York Knicks. After a stint with the Atlanta Hawks, he took over as the Brooklyn Nets head coach from 2016 to 2020, finding marginal success with one playoff appearance during his tenure.

He spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and has been with the Golden State Warriors since 2021, helping guide them to a title in 2022.

Borrego has similar coaching experience as Atkinson, serving as an assistant for most of his career. He was the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2022, failing to reach the postseason during his time there. He joined the New Orleans Pelicans staff as an assistant ahead of last season and is still with the team.

The Los Angeles Lakers hired JJ Redick to be their next head coach on Thursday, leaving just the Cavs and Pistons with vacant spots. With the NBA draft and other offseason duties approaching, Cleveland could be nearing a hire.

Adidas released the sixth iteration of Donovan Mitchell's signature shoe Tuesday, with the D.O.N Issue 6 coming to stores July 5.

.@adidas has officially unveiled @spidadmitchell’s sixth signature sneaker 🙌

The D.O.N Issue 6 will be releasing in a variety of colors starting July 5 for a retail of $120. pic.twitter.com/2sFksyddTR

— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) June 18, 2024

Introducing the D.O.N. Issue #6, built for lightweight comfort and explosive on-court movements.

The first drop is on July 5. Stay tuned on @adidasHoops for more information.#DONIssue6 #TrustYourGame #adidasBasketball pic.twitter.com/hXmXSTSFes

— adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) June 18, 2024

The first colorways emphasize bright, neon colors mixed with black accents. These will not be shoes that go with the most subtle aspects of a wardrobe, but they will stand out bright on the court.

Mitchell signed with Adidas in 2015 after wearing the brand at the University of Louisville. The two sides launched Mitchell's signature shoe line in 2019.

Mitchell soft-launched the shoe during the 2024 NBA playoffs and now it's reached its official debut.

The shoe features Adidas' patented Lightstrike Pro and Lightstrike technologies and is designed to provide support on the ankle and midfoot.

The Cleveland Cavaliers could be reluctant to trade Jarrett Allen because Donovan Mitchell wants to keep playing with him, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

"One reason I've heard for the Cavaliers' reported reluctance to trade Jarrett Allen despite ongoing questions about Allen's fit in the same frontcourt alongside the emerging Evan Mobley: Donovan Mitchell is often described as an Allen fan who doesn't want to lose him as a teammate," Stein wrote.

Stein wrote last month that Allen had "numerous admirers in rival front offices."

Meanwhile Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported Wednesday there is "a league-wide expectation" that Mitchell is planning to sign an extension in Cleveland.

Fischer also reported that the Cavaliers are "not expected to entertain trade offers for any member of its core four at this time." That list would include Mitchell and Allen as well as Mobley and Darius Garland.

Mitchell will be eligible to sign a four-year, $208.5 million extension this offseason.

HoopsHype's Michael Scotto said Wednesday on the HoopsHype Podcast that "several rival executives" believe that Mitchell will at least commit to three more seasons with the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers reporter Chris Fedor backed Scotto's report, saying the team was working on making other moves that they believe will make Mitchell happy to stay in Cleveland.

"They believe making this coaching change and going away from JB Bickerstaff is a step that shows Donovan that they're trying to be proactive and better themselves as an organization," Fedor said about the Cavaliers' efforts to retain Mitchell. "They're trying to make moves that make him happy."

Fedor concluded: "Everything the Cavs do this offseason is with an idea in mind of how this is going to affect our chances of keeping Donovan."

The motivation to make Mitchell happy to ink an extension in Cleveland, which he didn't do last offseason despite being eligible, could be enough for the Cavaliers decide to retain Allen despite his struggles to find offensive chemistry with Mobley on the frontcourt.

That means Mobley could be continuing his development in his fourth NBA season alongside Allen as the Cavaliers look to run its current core back around Mitchell next fall.

Having already been deemed a top candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers' vacant head-coaching position, James Borrego also has a lot of fans within the Cleveland Cavaliers organization.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Borrego has gained "traction" with the Cavs as they look for their next coach to replace J.B. Bickerstaff.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported on Wednesday that Borrego, who met with the Cavs earlier this week, is still considered a "leading candidate" for the Lakers.

Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Borrego was "impressive" in his meetings with Lakers officials and was considered the "primary competition" for JJ Redick to get the job.

Buha's report came out before it was known that Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley was being strongly pursued by the Lakers. Hurley announced on Monday he was staying at UConn, with Wojnarowski reporting he turned down a six-year, $70 million offer from the Lakers.

Now that the Lakers are onto their next plan, it seems like Redick and Borrego are among their top choices.

According to Wojnarowski, Redick will have a formal interview with Lakers' brass, including general manager Rob Pelinka and governor Jeanie Buss, this weekend.

Cleveland will also interview Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori this week, per Fischer. Dave Joerger and Johnnie Bryant are also considered to be in the mix for the job.

The Cavs fired Bickerstaff after five seasons on May 24. His dismissal came nine days after the team lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.

Borrego spent this season as an assistant on Willie Green's staff with the New Orleans Pelicans. He was a head coach for four seasons with the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to '22, compiling a 138-163 record.

Don't expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to part with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley this offseason.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that, "Despite a wealth of interest in both Garland and Allen on the trade market, Cleveland is not expected to entertain trade offers for any member of its core four at this time, sources said, while a league-wide expectation only grows that Mitchell will sign a contract extension with the club that acquired him from Utah back in September 2022."

There were rumors this offseason that Mitchell, in particular, could potentially be traded if he didn't agree to a long-term extension with the Cavaliers this offseason. That sort of talk has cooled, however, especially after former head coach J.B.Bickerstaff was fired.

That move, according to some NBA insiders, was done to appease Mitchell and keep him long term.

"The Cavs in their analysis here felt that keeping JB would not have been an asset in re-signing Donovan Mitchell," - @WindhorstESPN on how Mitchell fit into this coaching move. pic.twitter.com/EXI98WFIse

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 23, 2024

But there was still the matter of whether the rest of the roster works around him. Garland and Mitchell, for instance, haven't proven to be the most seamless fit. The two did have a 4.4 net rating when sharing the court together during the regular season, per NBA.com, albeit only in 36 games. That dropped to a disappointing minus-4.9 in 10 playoff games together.

And then there's the matter of whether starting two traditional bigs in Allen and Mobley makes sense. Might the Cavaliers be better suited with a long, two-way wing instead of a player like Allen?

The Cavaliers still managed to win 48 games in the regular season, earn the No. 4 seed and advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, where they were beaten by the Boston Celtics. Granted, Mitchell missed time in that series, but the team looked overmatched (and going to seven games in the first round against the young Orlando Magic was an indicator that perhaps the Cavs weren't firing on all cylinders).

The team continues to hunt for a new head coach as it looks to shake things up ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. But for now, it would appear the core four of Mitchell, Garland, Allen and Mobley are sticking around.