Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly still keeping their options open in the search for a replacement for fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that Cleveland interviewed New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego in person on Tuesday and plans on doing the same with Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori this week.

What's more, the Cavaliers are conducting some interviews over Zoom, including with New York Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Dave Joerger.

Borrego, Atkinson and Nori all landing in-person interviews feels like a step forward in the process.

Cleveland isn't the only team connected to Borrego, as he has also been linked to the ongoing Los Angeles Lakers' search for a new coach that took something of a turn when Dan Hurley decided to stay in the collegiate ranks with UConn instead of leading the Purple and Gold.

Borrego has plenty of experience outside of his time with the Pelicans, including when he was the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons from 2018-19 through 2021-22. Prior to that, he was an assistant for the New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs.

He was also the interim head coach of the Magic for 30 games in 2014-15.

Atkinson also has extensive experience, including when he was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets for four seasons from 2016-17 through 2019-20. He led a Nets team that wasn't exactly loaded with talent to the playoffs in his third season.

The 57-year-old has also been an assistant coach for the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers in addition to his role with the Warriors.

Nori cannot match the other candidates' head-coaching experience, but he is a longtime assistant with stops on the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Timberwolves.

Whoever Cleveland hires might be in charge of largely the same roster that reached the second round of the playoffs this season and then lost to the Celtics when Donovan Mitchell was sidelined with injury.

Fischer reported the expectation around the league is Mitchell will sign a contract extension with the Cavaliers this offseason. What's more, he noted the team "is not expected to entertain trade offers for any member of its core four" of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley at this time.

Ideally for Cleveland, its next head coach will help that group reach its full potential.

Darius Garland's trade market is reportedly already drying up.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said recent comments made by general manager Koby Altman have teams rethinking their pursuit of the Cleveland Cavaliers guard.

"There are now teams that are sort of backing off, saying well maybe Garland is not gonna be available," Windhorst said Tuesday.

Altman pushed back on the assertion the Cavs should look to make their roster more traditionally cohesive this offseason by trading Garland.

"I don't see why we should," Altman said. "And the same thing goes [for the] fit of the Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen. There's a depth of talent here that's really, really good. And when you look at the landscape of the league and how long, like 82 games, we can't discount [the impact of] injuries.

"...I know people want to talk about the fit I push back on that in terms of just the net ratings, but I also want to talk about the depth of talent here. That's really good that keeps us alive when we have to go through some injury spells."

A breakout All-Star during 2022, Garland has taken a backseat over the last two seasons to the ball-dominant Mitchell. Cleveland has made the playoffs with the pairing in place, but it's clear Garland could do more if given a bigger role.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported the 24-year-old could even seek a trade if Mitchell signs a long-term contract extension this summer in Cleveland.

If Mitchell does not ink a new deal, the Cavs will likely have to explore trading their All-Star guard just two years after backing up a Brinks truck of assets to acquire him.

New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego will meet with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday as part of their coaching search, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Borrego was linked with the vacancy almost immediately after the Cavs dismissed J.B. Bickerstaff.

Cleveland could face a challenge from the Los Angeles Lakers.

UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley announced Monday he's staying with the Huskies. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Hurley declined a six-year, $70 million offer from the Lakers.

Now that Los Angeles is forced to pivot in another direction, Wojnarowski added that Borrego "is expected to remain part of group." He has interviewed with the Lakers already, and Stein also reported on June 6 he could even be a candidate to work under JJ Redick if the ESPN analyst is hired as L.A.'s head coach.

Borrego had a .458 winning percentage in his four years with the Charlotte Hornets. His work there looks even more impressive in retrospect considering the Hornets went 43-39 in 2021-22, his final season, and won 48 combined games in the two years since.

Of particular note to the Cavaliers, Charlotte finished 11th, 28th, 23rd and eighth in offensive rating, per NBA.com. First with Kemba Walker and then LaMelo Ball, Borrego was able to build solid offenses around dynamic guards, and that's something he'd have in Cleveland with Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland leading the backcourt.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Monday the Cavs are also expected to bring Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson in for a visit. It appears the front office is narrowing its search, and either Borrego or Atkinson will wind up with the job.

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly received permission to interview Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori for their head-coaching vacancy.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Nori is set to interview to replace JB Bickerstaff, who was fired after the Cavaliers' second-round exit in the playoffs. Nori previously spoke with the Los Angeles Lakers regarding their vacancy, but he's not been mentioned as a prime candidate.

The Cavaliers also received permission to interview NBA assistant coaches Kenny Atkinson, James Borrego, Johnnie Bryant and Chris Quinn, per Wojnarowski.

Nuggets assistant David Adelman also joined the list Tuesday, per Wojnarowski. The 43-year-old spent the past seven years in Denver, helping the team bring home an NBA title in 2023.

Atkinson, who currently serves as an assistant under Steve Kerr in Golden State, previously spent four years coaching the Brooklyn Nets. Borrego had a four-year stint with the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2022 before being fired; he joined the New Orleans Pelicans' bench before this season.

Nori, Bryant and Quinn do not have any head-coaching experience.

Nori started his basketball coaching career in 2009 with the Toronto Raptors and has since worked with the Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Timberwolves. He served as the interim head coach in Minnesota briefly this season when head coach Chris Finch suffered a patellar tendon injury during the Wolves' first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.

Bryant has been an associate head coach under Tom Thibodeau since 2020 after previously working with the Utah Jazz. The 38-year-old began his career in player development and is known for honing skills with players behind the scenes.

Quinn, a former NBA guard, has been part of Erik Spoelstra's staff in Miami for the last decade. He's received several head-coaching interviews in recent years but is yet to land his first opportunity.

The Cavs are heading into an offseason full of major decisions as they look to retool their roster around star Donovan Mitchell. It's likely Cleveland's front office will look to Mitchell for guidance during the search.

The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be targeting some Eastern Conference assistant coaches to be the team's next head coach.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Cavaliers have "received permission" to interview New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant and Miami Heat top assistant coach Chris Quinn for its head coaching vacancy.

This comes after the team had interviewed Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego for the vacancy.

The vacancy comes after the Cavaliers fired J.B. Bickerstaff following the team's Eastern Conference Semifinal loss to the Boston Celtics. Bickerstaff had been the team's coach for five seasons, compiling a 170-159 record and leading the Cavaliers to two postseason appearances.

Bryant has been the Knicks' associate head coach since 2020 and had previously served as an assistant for the Utah Jazz from 2014-2020. During his time with New York, the Knicks have reached the postseason three times.

Quinn has with Miami since 2014, overseeing two NBA Finals appearances. He also played six seasons in the NBA, including one with Cleveland in 2012-13.

If Cleveland were to hire Bryant or Quinn, it would be their first head coaching position.

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly aren't actively looking to trade any of their top contributors following a second-round exit in the 2024 NBA playoffs.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Cavs "don't appear very motivated" to listen to offers on any of their "Core Four," which is comprised of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

With that group leading the way, Cleveland secured the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference this season with a 48-34 record, and beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in the second round.

Garland, Allen and Mobley have played together since the 2021-22 season, and Cleveland made a splashy move prior to last season by acquiring Mitchell in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz.

That move has largely paid dividends thus far, as the Cavaliers reached the playoffs in 2023 with a 51-31 record, marking their first postseason appearance since 2018.

This season, the Cavs won their first playoff series since 2018 and also won a playoff series without LeBron James on the roster for the first time since 1993.

Mitchell finished sixth in the NBA MVP voting in his first season in Cleveland, averaging a career-high 28.3 points per game to go along with 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

He was highly productive again this season with 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game en route to his fifth consecutive All-Star selection, but he did miss 27 games due to injury.

Mitchell is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2024-25, and while ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst recently said on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast that Cleveland will soon offer him a $200 million contract extension, he has to be considered a trade candidate if he rejects the Cavs' offer.

Should the Cavaliers keep Mitchell, however, Garland may become Cleveland's top trade possibility.

Garland is signed through the 2027-28 season, but it can be argued that his skill set is somewhat redundant with Mitchell's, and Fischer suggested that Garland's representation could request a trade if Mitchell signs a long-term extension as a result.

All four of the Cavs' top players are signed through at least next season, and it seems likely that the organization would want to make one more run with that group together.

The Cavaliers have been among the top teams in the Eastern Conference the past two seasons, and while they only have one playoff series win to show for it, they arguably have as good of a chance as any team to knock off the Celtics next season.

Should the entire "Core Four" return for the 2024-25 campaign, a few roster tweaks in terms of the supporting cast could make Cleveland one of the top teams to beat in the East.

The Cleveland Cavaliers received permission to formally interview the New Orleans Pelicans' James Borrego and Golden State Warriors' Kenny Atkinson as part of their coaching search, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Borrego is also a candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

Instantaneously with news of J.B. Bickerstaff's dismissal surfacing, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Borrego and Atkinson were "expected to be among candidates for the job."

There's a clear level of urgency driving Cleveland's front office. With Donovan Mitchell entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, president of basketball operations Koby Altman didn't feel he could run it back.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported May 24 on Get Up that "every decision the Cavs make between now and when Donovan Mitchell makes his decision on a contract extension in July is going to be wrapped around that."

Windhorst followed up Wednesday on ESPN Cleveland's The Really Big Show to say Mitchell might have more leverage over the Cavaliers than any other player over his respective team:

Neither Borrego nor Atkinson has existing ties with Mitchell from their time in the NBA, and they wouldn't qualify as a marquee hire if one was the final choice. Both did reasonably well at their last head-coaching stops, though.

The Charlotte Hornets' 43-39 record under Borrego in 2021-22 certainly looks better in retrospect after they immediately fell into the NBA cellar with Steve Clifford. Atkinson helped build the culture within the Brooklyn Nets that led them to be an attractive destination for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019.

From the Cavaliers' perspective, you'd at least be able to sell Mitchell on the idea that Borrego or Atkinson is potentially an upgrade over Bickerstaff.

Wojnarowski wrote the team is still going to consider "several more candidates," so this far from just a two-horse race.

Donovan Mitchell has plenty of leverage with the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason.

So much leverage, in fact, that it reportedly could eclipse the leverage LeBron James has with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Donovan's position with the Cavs right now is potentially as powerful as any team with any star player," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during a Wednesday appearance on 850 ESPN Cleveland.

"With possible trades coming, with the type of contract he's going to get offered. With the coaching position open. What Donovan has with the Cavs is what LeBron has with the Lakers. In fact, it might even be stronger because the Lakers have another superstar player on their roster. And LeBron's about to turn 40. Donovan is entering his prime."

Mitchell is signed through next season and has a player option for the 2025-26 campaign but is also eligible for an extension this offseason.

Cleveland will surely want him to sign it as it looks to build on its second-round playoff appearance this season. It would also eliminate the long-term doubt Mitchell choosing not to sign it would cause, as the Cavaliers may have to trade him to avoid losing him for nothing in free agency in that hypothetical.

That Windhorst mentioned James is notable because there are plenty of parallels between the Cavaliers and Lakers at this time.

Their star players' futures are topics of discussion this offseason with Mitchell extension eligible and James facing a 2024-25 player option. They both have coaching vacancies after Cleveland fired J.B. Bickerstaff and Los Angeles fired Darvin Ham. And they are both a step below the elite teams in their conferences and in need of additions to make up that gap.

Assuming the front offices want James and Mitchell back, they will surely seek out feedback from both James and Mitchell when hiring their next head coach or even making roster moves.

Whether either uses that leverage to influence roster decisions remains to be seen, but this is a critical offseason for Cleveland.

Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported earlier this month that "rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and [Darius] Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other."

That could mean a Garland trade if Mitchell does sign his contract extension, which could open up more space to add another impact player alongside the five-time All-Star.

Cleveland could look quite different in 2024-25, and it may depend on how much leverage Mitchell uses while figuring out his own contract situation.

There is reportedly a "leader" for the Cleveland Cavaliers' coaching vacancy.

Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported Sunday that Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is seen as the top choice in Cleveland's search. However, Lloyd also listed New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant as a possible candidate.

Bryant is a longtime assistant coach who has been in his position with the Knicks since the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

He was an assistant with the Utah Jazz before that, which is where a potential connection comes into play. Lloyd pointed out that Bryant was with Utah at the same time Donovan Mitchell was the go-to option in the team's offense.

Mitchell is entering the final season of his contract before he has a player option for the 2025-26 campaign. His future with the Cavaliers is a major discussion point this offseason, and hiring someone he is familiar with as head coach surely wouldn't hurt the team's chances to sign him to a long-term deal.

As for Atkinson, he has the head coaching experience that Bryant is missing.

He was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets for four seasons from 2016-17 until he was fired after 62 games in 2019-20. The Nets went to the playoffs in 2019 and 2020 but did not win a series.

Atkinson has also been an assistant coach for the Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Warriors.

Cleveland is looking to take the next step as a true contender in the Eastern Conference. It reached the playoffs the last two seasons under J.B. Bickerstaff but fired him after it won just one series in those two combined appearances.

Cleveland Cavaliers veteran forward Marcus Morris doesn't believe that teammate Donovan Mitchell will leave the team amid a host of trade rumors.

Mitchell can sign a four-year, $200 million extension this summer. Right now, he's due $35.4 million in 2024-25 and can become a free agent afterward by declining his 2025-26 player option.

It would behoove the Cavs to sign Mitchell, of course. The 27-year-old and five-time All-Star guard averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game for a Cavs team that reached the second round of the playoffs.

Understandably, it appears he'll get that offer, per ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast.

"I will say this. In three weeks, the Cavs are going to meet with Donovan Mitchell. In that meeting there's probably going to be three things that are on the agenda. One, they're going to offer him a $200 million extension. Very kindly, with a lot of smiles and hope. Two, you'd like to think that the new head coach would be hired by that time and would have for him an idea of how he wants to play. How it would affect him and how it would affect the other players."

Of course, the Cavs also need to find a new head coach after firing J.B. Bickerstaff, and one can surmise that the new coach could have an impact on Mitchell's decision.

Ultimately, the Cavs' future is a big question mark with Mitchell's future with the team up in the air. But this team is clearly better with him than without as the Cavs find themselves as perennial playoff contenders in the post-LeBron James era.