Cavs Hire Warriors' Atkinson as Head Coach
The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to appoint Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as their next head coach, sources have informed ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski, a formal agreement is anticipated soon.
The Cavaliers had also given serious consideration to New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego for the position. Borrego, who was a finalist for the Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching role, is expected to be a leading candidate for the Detroit Pistons' vacancy as well, sources told Wojnarowski.
With the coaching decision made, Cleveland will focus on securing a contract extension for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. The 27-year-old player has one year remaining on his current contract before he can opt for early termination and enter free agency. Mitchell has reportedly discussed the hiring with Atkinson and approved the decision, according to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com.
Atkinson is notably recognized for his tenure as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020. Under his leadership, the Nets reached the playoffs in 2019, competing in a notable first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
After stepping down during the 2019-20 season, Atkinson joined the Los Angeles Clippers and subsequently moved to the Warriors, contributing to their championship win in 2022. Although he had initially agreed to become the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets during the NBA Finals, he chose to remain with the Warriors instead.
Renowned for his player development skills, Atkinson will be reuniting with former Nets players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert. The Cavaliers are also looking forward to seeing Atkinson's development plans for Evan Mobley, sources told Wojnarowski.
The Cavaliers decided to part ways with J.B. Bickerstaff after their second-round loss to the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics. Notably, Cleveland's first-round victory over the Orlando Magic marked the franchise's first playoff series win without LeBron James since 1998.
