(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still hard at work finding a new head coach to replace JB Bickerstaff and they have apparently narrowed it down to a few candidates.
Are they on the verge of offering the job to someone with just days to go before the NBA draft?
Marc Stein is reporting that Kenny Atkinson is “gaining steam” for the job in Cleveland, although James Borrego had originally been viewed as Cleveland’s first choice.
Meanwhile, Micah Nori of the Minnesota Timberwolves is still in contention for the position too.
Latest from NBA coaching carousel: Heard multiple times today that Kenny Atkinson is gaining steam for Cleveland’s job.
James Borrego had initially been more widely billed as the favorite in coaching circles; Minnesota’s Micah Nori also in contention.https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 22, 2024
Atkinson has been in the mix for this job and a few others across the NBA for years now.
He got his start as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks in 2008 before moving to the Atlanta Hawks in 2013.
He then got a chance to be the head coach for the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020.
After that, he returned to assistant coaching positions with the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors, where he remains to this day.
The Cavaliers have been looking for a new head coach since May so it’s very obvious that they are taking their time with this selection.
A lot hinges on this decision and there is a chance that Cleveland’s selection will impact the Detroit Pistons, who are also looking for a new person to lead them.
If Atkinson does get the job with the Cavaliers, he will have his work cut out for him.
The team has shown a lot of great promise over the last couple of seasons but they haven’t been able to translate that into strong playoff runs.
They were bogged down by injuries last season, including in the playoffs, where they were taken out by the Boston Celtics.
Is Atkinson the man to take all that potential and turn it into a championship?
The post A Favorite Has Emerged For Cavs’ Coaching Job appeared first on The Cold Wire.