Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Marcus Morris spoke on Jarrett Allen's injury that sidelined him for the majority of the team's playoff run, saying it would not have kept him on the sidelines.

During an appearance on Run It Back on FanDuelTV, Morris fielded questions about Allen's injury recovery and even answered in the affirmative about whether he would have played through a similar injury.

"If you put me in that same position, 'do I play?' Yes," Morris said. "I can't say how his body felt. Orlando was a physical series so I wasn't surprised he didn't come back in that one, a little surprised about the Boston one."

Morris elaborated on his stance, saying that he understood Allen missing the Orlando series due to the team's play style but believed the Boston Celtics would have been a good opponent to come back for.

"I think Boston wasn't as physical," Morris said. "More just talent and skillful guys."

Cleveland would win the series over Orlando in seven games before falling to Boston in five games. Morris averaged 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.3 minutes a night during the Cavaliers postseason run.

Prior to suffering the injury, Allen was a key piece to the Cavaliers. He had averaged 17.0 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in four games. While his presence may not have been enough to push Cleveland past the Celtics, he certainly could have helped the team find a bit more success in the series.

Cavaliers president Koby Altman went to bat for Allen in the team's end-of-season press conference, saying that Allen "tried to give it a go" but that it was "impossible to play through what he was going through."

Donovan Mitchell is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, though there have been persistent rumors that Mitchell could be traded if an extension doesn't' materialize.

Cavaliers president of basketball operations, Koby Altman, certainly gave the impression that Mitchell would be back with the team next season while speaking with reporters on Friday, however:

"This is a player who has had two of the best seasons of his career here," Altman noted. "He's had a lot of success here. Understands the infrastructure. Has a lot of trust in what we're doing. Understands that our goal is to win a championship. When we're talking to him about the future here, getting his feedback, it's all about, 'How do we make this thing better? How do we achieve this together? How do we win in the future?' I take those as very positive things."

Mitchell, 27, has averaged 27.5 points per game in his two seasons in Cleveland, posting the two highest-scoring seasons of his NBA career. For context, he averaged 23.9 points per game during his first five years with the Utah Jazz.

He has never missed the playoffs in his seven NBA seasons, but he's also never advanced past the second round. Any chance the Cavaliers may have had to upset the top-seeded Boston Celtics in this year's second round went out the window after a left calf strain forced Mitchell to miss Games 4 and 5.

Cleveland's entire summer now revolves around the future of Mitchell. That includes the surprising decision to fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, with ESPN's Brian Windhorst saying Wednesday (0:56 mark) that the Cavs "obviously believe that changing coaches here will benefit them in their quest to re-sign Mitchell.

"There's no doubt that the Bickerstaff-Mitchell relationship was a factor in this decision," Windhorst added. "And the new head coach, whoever that may be, will have to have a plan for how to maximize Mitchell. Not only to sell to the Cavs, but to sell to Mitchell himself."

Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic also reported on May 15 that "multiple league sources have said, for months, that Mitchell did not have great confidence in Bickerstaff, and he was not alone. Several players questioned Bickerstaff's strategies, game management, practice habits and accountability measures, privately and publicly, throughout the season."

Other changes may follow. Mitchell and Darius Garland have never proven to be a seamless backcourt fit, with The Athletic reporting that Garland's representation, Klutch Sports, may seek to find him a new home if Mitchell signs an extension, though Rich Paul told TNT Sports' Chris Haynes on Friday that there was "nothing to discuss" regarding those rumors.

There are also questions about the long-term fit of big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. It's hard to imagine the Cavaliers moving on from the 22-year-old Mobley, so Allen is another player to monitor this summer.

Big changes could be coming in Cleveland. But keeping Mitchell is seemingly priority No. 1.

Veteran NBA forward Marcus Morris suggested Friday that the Cleveland Cavaliers' decision to fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff this week may have been a necessary one.

During an appearance on Run It Back, Morris was asked if he saw any disconnect between Bickerstaff and the players after joining the team late in the season. Morris responded affirmatively:

"Honestly yeah, I kind of seen it," Morris said. "Sorry to say it. He's been around there for a while. Sometimes time is just a little bit too long. I think he had the locker room. I think his time just ran out. Good dude on and off the court."

With his firing, Bickerstaff's five-year tenure as head coach of the Cavs came to an end. He posted a 170-159 regular-season record in Cleveland, reaching the playoffs twice and winning one playoff series.

Morris, 34, is a well-traveled NBA veteran, having played for eight different teams over the course of his 13-year career.

The Cavs signed Morris in March, and he went on to appear in 12 regular-season games, averaging 5.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per contest. He also averaged 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in nine postseason games.

Cleveland was among the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, finishing as the No. 4 seed with a 48-34 record.

The Cavs beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the top-seeded Boston Celtics 4-1 in the second round.

Compared to the Cavaliers' recent history, it was a successful season for them, as they won their first playoff series since 2018. They also won their first playoff series without LeBron James on the roster since 1993.

Cleveland has a ton of talent under contract next season, including Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Caris LeVert and Max Strus.

There is a window of opportunity for them to go on a deep playoff run and potentially vie for a championship, which may be why the decision was made to part ways with Bickerstaff and get a new voice in the locker room.

Also, the Cavaliers are facing a huge offseason since Mitchell can become a free agent after the 2024-25 campaign if he does not sign an extension.

Mitchell is a five-time All-Star and the Cavaliers' best player, so it seems likely that Mitchell's preferences were considered when making a coaching change.

ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said Friday on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast that while Mitchell didn't ask for Bickerstaff to be fired, the Cavs believe their chances of re-signing Mitchell have "increased" thanks to the move.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly expected to offer All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell a significant contract extension when they meet in three weeks.

Speaking on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst broke down what will be on the agenda when Mitchell and the Cavs meet, including a likely $200 million contract offer:

"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.

"And three, a concept of what they're going to do for the roster this offseason. Big focus on that will be Darius Garland. While Darius Garland has not asked for a trade, the Darius Garland-Donovan Mitchell tandem—while I don't think there's any personal issues there, I don't think that there's any personal animus...maybe the new head coach will have an idea. Like, 'Look, this is how we're going to play.'"

After going 48-34 and reaching the second round of the playoffs this season, the Cavaliers fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff this week. Given Mitchell's status as the Cavs' best player, the organization's choice for its next head coach could have a significant impact on his decision of whether to re-sign.

Windhorst reported that while Mitchell did not ask for Bickerstaff to be fired, the Cavaliers "believe their chances of re-signing Donovan Mitchell are increased" thanks to the coaching change.

Cleveland acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster trade prior to the 2022-23 season, sending Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks and two pick swaps to Utah.

Mitchell was already a three-time All-Star when he arrived, and he has continued his excellent play with the Cavs.

Last season, Mitchell averaged a career-high 28.3 points to go along with 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 three-pointers made and 1.5 steals per game en route to finishing sixth in the NBA MVP voting.

This season, Spida averaged 26.6 points, 3.3 three-pointers made and a career-high 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest, and he was named an All-Star for the fifth consecutive season.

Also, Mitchell led the Cavaliers to their first playoff series win of any kind since 2018 and their first playoff series win without LeBron James on the roster since 1993.

While Mitchell has seemingly been a good fit in Cleveland, the Cavaliers traded for him knowing there was a possibility they could lose him after the 2024-25 season.

Mitchell has just one year remaining on his contract, and if he declines to sign an extension, the Cavaliers will face the tough decision of whether to enter the 2024-25 season with him on an expiring contract or to attempt to trade him.

With a core of Mitchell, Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Caris LeVert and Max Strus, the Cavs have a chance to be a top team in the Eastern Conference for many years to come, but that will depend heavily on Mitchell's willingness to make a long-term commitment.

What figures to be a pivotal offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers fully kicked into gear Thursday with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting J.B. Bickerstaff is out as head coach.

Now the focus shifts to the future of star guard Donovan Mitchell, who's eligible to be a free agent after the 2024-25 season. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on FanDuel TV's Run It Back the Cavs are optimistic they can retain the five-time All-Star:

Firing Bickerstaff wasn't done specifically to appease Mitchell because there were broader questions to raise about his continued suitability for the role. But the front office might have felt a coaching change will further entice the 27-year-old to sign a long-term extension.

In their postmortem for the Cavaliers, The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd reported that Mitchell among some others "did not have great confidence in Bickerstaff," and his usage by the coach was a point of contention as well.

Where Cleveland goes with its coaching search could be another indicator as to whether the organization really believes Mitchell wants to stick around.

Him re-signing would create its own domino effect since The Athletic report indicated Darius Garland's agent, Rich Paul, could speak with the Cavaliers about a potential trade. The Mitchell/Garland backcourt combo hasn't meshed as some expected, so choosing one over the other is logical.

Garland should have some real trade value as well. Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported at the 41:28 mark on No Cap Room on May 16 that "a lot of teams will have [Garland] ranked above Trae Young on their board of wish lists."

Recounting a conversation he had with Mitchell, Wojnarowski reported last week on NBA Countdown the player was "happy in Cleveland" and has "been happy since" his move to Northeast Ohio.

With Bickerstaff gone, Mitchell could find life in Cleveland even more amenable.

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly already have their eyes on multiple head coaching candidates.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Thursday that Cleveland fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and is interested in Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and New Orleans Pelicans associate James Borrego as potential candidates to take over the job.

Bickerstaff led the Cavaliers to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but the team won just one series and was well behind the Boston Celtics during its 4-1 loss in the second round this year.

There are also plenty of roster decisions that will need to be made, as Donovan Mitchell has just one more season on his contract before a 2025-26 player option. There have also been plenty of trade rumors surrounding the star, suggesting a move could happen this offseason.

What's more, Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported Darius Garland's representation could discuss a potential trade if Mitchell ends up staying with Cleveland on a long-term deal.

"Rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other," they wrote.

There will be plenty of uncertainty for whoever takes over as the head coach, although Atkinson and Borrego at least have experience to fall back on as candidates.

Atkinson has been an assistant for the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Warriors in addition to his head-coaching experience with the Brooklyn Nets. He led Brooklyn 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 lost in the first round both years.

Borrego has been an assistant coach for the New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Pelicans. He was also the interim coach of the Magic for 30 games in 2014-15 and was the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons from 2018-19 through 2021-22.

Charlotte never made the playoffs under his guidance but improved to 43-39 by his final season after it was just 23-42 in 2019-20.

Depending on how the roster shakes out this offseason, expectations will likely be higher for either candidate in Cleveland should they land the job.

The Cleveland Cavaliers fired coach J.B. Bickerstaff after four-plus seasons Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson and New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego have already emerged as prospective candidates.

Bickerstaff went 170-159 during his tenure in Cleveland, which began late in the 2019-20 season when John Beilein resigned. The 45-year-old oversaw a rebuild that began with a 22-50 record in 2020-21 before he turned things around with three straight winning seasons.

Cleveland went 48-34 this season despite its roster being mired with injuries and advanced to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Boston Celtics. It was the first time the Cavs franchise advanced past the first round without LeBron James since 1993.

Still, Charania reported Bickstaff's job was in jeopardy after Cleveland's loss to Boston. Players on the roster—most notably star Donovan Mitchell—bristled at Bickerstaff's coaching decisions as the 2023-24 season progressed. Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman also reportedly admonished Bickerstaff for playing Mitchell too many minutes in the regular season.

Bickerstaff also seemed to hint at agendas within his locker room when praising the Celtics.

"You watch the way they play the game and how unselfish the game is played—they have really talented players throughout their lineup, but they all understand their role and they all play their role in a way that's just going to help them win.

"You sit back and watch the film and study them, you don't see guys stepping outside of who they are in a way that it's going to impact other people," Bickerstaff said. "They don't mind a Derrick White going off. If he's going off, they allow him to do his thing. If you give him the ball and put him in position to be successful, and the other guys become great, equally. I think you watch them and it doesn't appear from the outside that it's about 'me' at all, right? It's about winning. It's about winning consistently."

Bickerstaff previously spent parts of two seasons as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and one year as the interim coach of the Houston Rockets. Overall, he's posted a 255-290 record.

Cleveland firing Bickerstaff is the first major move in a critical offseason. Mitchell can become a free agent after the 2024-25 season, and the Cavs are expected to offer him a four-year max contract extension. If Mitchell declines the offer, they will almost certainly have to explore trading the five-time All-Star.

Given the seemingly rocky state of Bickerstaff's relationship with Mitchell, it's understandable to move on now.

LeBron James said not all of his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates were supportive of him during his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2003-04.

When Mind the Game Pod co-host JJ Redick asked James if he had to deal with people who weren't celebrating him and "wanted to kick your ass" during his rookie season, James answered, "My teammates for sure."

"There's video evidence of my teammates basically saying, like, 'He's not ready,' or, 'There's somebody playing his position,' or, 'We're not putting all our faith in an 18-year-old kid,'" James said on Wednesday's episode of the podcast.

"Teammates that I had to be on the floor with, practicing with, on the planes with, in the locker room, in game situations, had this kind of—you don't want to say hate, but had this kind of animosity towards me, and what I could provide."

James continued: "I came in with the narrative, but I didn't come in with that type of aura. I just wanted to come in and learn from the vets and then put the work in."

Several Cavaliers players openly expressed doubt about James' rookie year success, both before the 2003 NBA Draft and after he had established himself as an NBA star.

Former Cavaliers forward Carlos Boozer told reporters before the draft that Cleveland had "better players than him in his position already on our team."

Former Cleveland guard Ricky Davis then said on the Rich Eisen Show in 2017: "There's a difference between being great and learning the NBA game. Him coming in at an early age, I don't think he was ready in his rookie year as he is now."

James still went on to play 39.5 minutes per night while averaging 20.9 points his rookie season, although that would prove to be a career low.

In 20 seasons since then, James has never averaged fewer than 25 points per night—and apparently never forgotten the doubts expressed by his former Cavaliers teammates about his first year in the league.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have several important choices to make over the summer, and team governor Dan Gilbert is expected to have input on the decision-making process.

In a radio appearance on ESPN 850 in Cleveland, insider Brian Windhorst confirmed that Gilbert will be "heavily involved" with the Cavaliers throughout the offseason.

The future of star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell will be an important topic for the team's front office, as he has just one year remaining on his contract (not including a 2025-26 player option) and is eligible to sign an extension.

After Cleveland's season ended with a five-game defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals, questions surfaced regarding the long-term future of the Cavaliers' core of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

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

After the five-time All-Star was traded to Cleveland in a deal with the Utah Jazz in September 2022, questions surfaced about his future with the organization following his current contract.

However, Windhorst noted on Friday's edition of The Hoop Collective podcast that the Cavaliers are "very optimistic" that they'll be able to keep the 27-year-old on a long-term extension (52:10 mark).

Gilbert has also discussed his belief that Mitchell will extend with the team.

"We've been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract," Gilbert told Larry Lage of the Associated Press on March 28. "We think he will extend. I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city."

Despite the team's lack of consistent playoff success following the blockbuster trade, Mitchell himself has lived up to expectations. In two years with the Cavaliers, he's averaged 27.5 points and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three.

As Cleveland attempts to extend and build around Mitchell, Gilbert will help the front office navigate through the offseason.

There are "numerous" rival teams interested in trading for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen this offseason, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

This interest has persisted "despite the whispers of frustration circulating in Cleveland surrounding Allen's apparent reluctance to take a pain-killing injection to address a rib injury that sidelined him for the Cavaliers' final eight playoff games," Stein reported.

The Cavaliers could consider trading Allen if they are able to extend both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley this offseason, per Stein.

Allen averaged 17.0 points per game in four postseason appearances before he suffered the injury in Game 4 of the first round. The shorthanded Cavaliers were eliminated from the second round by the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd previously reported for The Athletic that some coaches and players believed Allen "could have done more to try and play" after suffering the injury.

Throughout the regular season, however, Allen remained a key part of the Cavaliers' defense as he averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 assists and 1.1 blocks through 77 regular-season starts.

That will be enough to make him "one of the most coveted trade targets in the league this offseason," Stein wrote.

Allen has two more years at a $20 million cap hit remaining on his contract before he is set to become an unrestricted free agent prior to his age-28 season in 2026-27.

Meanwhile, Mobley and Mitchell only have one year of club control remaining on each of their current contracts.

The Cavaliers have already exercised Mobley's club option of $11.2 million for the 2024-25 season.

Mitchell has one season remaining at $35.4 million, as well as a player option for the 2025-26 campaign, but Stein has previously reported that the Cavaliers will trade the star if unable to agree on an extension prior to the season.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently said on his podcast The Hoop Collective that the Cavaliers are "very optimistic" they can extend Mitchell, and speculated that the team would give Mobley a max extension this summer.

With both players extended, the Cavaliers could still look to make some change after this core fell short of a deep playoff run. That could open the door for a potential Mitchell trade.

Allen has previously been connected with the New Orleans Pelicans, a team Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported had interest in the veteran center this season. If Jonas Valančiūnas walks in free agency, the Pelicans could be in need of a starting center and would make sense as a potential trade partner.