JUNE 26: The Cavaliers and Atkinson have agreed to a five-year contract, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
JUNE 24: The Cavaliers will hire Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as their next head coach, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The two sides are working on a contract and an agreement is expected soon, Wojnarowski adds.
Atkinson and Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego were the finalists for the position, according to Wojnarowski, who hears that Cleveland prioritized Atkinson because of the potential influence his player development program could have on Evan Mobley. Atkinson also has a prior relationship with Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert after coaching them in Brooklyn.
Atkinson’s only previous head coaching experience came with the Nets, where he compiled a 118-190 record while overseeing a rebuilding project. He resigned after the 2019/20 season, then spent a year with the Clippers before becoming Steve Kerr’s top assistant with Golden State in 2021. Wojnarowski notes that Atkinson briefly accepted a head coaching job with the Hornets two years ago before changing his mind and staying with the Warriors.
The Cavaliers conducted an extensive search after firing J.B. Bickerstaff last month, as our coaching search tracker shows. Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori and Heat assistant Chris Quinn all reportedly interviewed for the job, while Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen, Bucks assistant Dave Joerger and former Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts also reportedly received consideration.
Atkinson will take over a Cavs team that has improved significantly over the past two seasons, but didn’t achieve enough in the playoffs to save Bickerstaff’s job. Among the issues Atkinson will have to address is how to get the most out of similar players in Mobley and Allen in the frontcourt and Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the backcourt, assuming Cleveland keeps the core of its roster intact.
Negotiating a long-term extension with Mitchell will be the team’s next priority, Wojnarowski adds. The All-Star guard has a player option on his $37MM contract for 2025/26.
Borrego remains a “prominent candidate” for the Pistons, who now have the only open head coaching job in the league, Wojnarowski tweets. After joining the staff in New Orleans last summer, Borrego worked closely with Trajan Langdon, who recently took over as head of basketball operations in Detroit.
Atkinson’s departure is a significant loss for the Warriors, notes Anthony Slater of the Athletic (Twitter link), who hears that the team will consider adding two new assistants this offseason.
The best available
Smart decision
My thoughts exactly
Something tells me that he won’t be getting cold feet in the next few days.
It was wise of him to pass on Hornets.
His name been mentioned with every NBA coaching job the last 2 years. Cavs has a good foundation to go to. Surprised the Lakers didn’t go after him being a defensive coach.
Mobley and Allen are the best two bigs for this coach. He saw the opportunity and nailed it. Interested in the money.
First Myers, now Atkinson, maybe Klay next. Warriors fans experiencing the other side finally. Draymond in shambles, the window is closed unless some miracle happens with the CP3 contract.
Huh? Warriors fans have already experienced the other side. All teams go through changes. Myers made things worse by signing Poole to that dumb contract. Winning in ’22 was totally unexpected. But, they have some good young players. They have a platform to build on. How is Draymond in shambles?
They were able to get off the Poole contract pretty easily at least
Sounds like a bitter Cavs fan still hating on the warriors. Thank the new CBA for breaking up the warriors but watch it go back on the Cavs when Mitchell and others ask for big raises next year.
@arc89- Father Time is a much bigger reason the Warriors are fading than the new CBA.
@Druuu “Warriors fans experiencing the other side finally.” you mean like when we did from 1976-2014? Do you only acknowledge the last decade of NBA history? Maybe the weirdest take ever made on any platform. You cant see the forest from the trees, my guy.
“Draymond in shambles” Draymond played his best basketball since 2017 last year, his shot finally came back and he became a scorer again. Why lie like this?
“The window is closed” first, you hater clowns say this EVERY year. Second how dare you say this while Steph still is sicko mode? He won the most clutch player award because he made the most clutch shots last season plus was his devastating self. Also are you literally saying all of Kuminga, Moody, Jackson-Davis and Podziemski are scrub-level replacement players? That is factually untrue. GSW has not had 4 young players all come up at once like this in the Curry era, which points to more success, not less.
When GSW reloads and wins another ring I hope you delete your account.
The funny thing about his comment is the Cavs will soon be in the same place as the Warriors having to let go of talent because of the new CBA. Face it Warriors would never have traded Poole for CP3 if it wasn’t for the new CBA. They also would have resigned Donte instead of not being able to offer him a deal. So Cavs if they sign Mitchell they will have to let go of a couple of their talented players in Lavert and Mobley.
Great take, all facts there, and also funny how GSW drafting well recently really nullified a lot of these “bad things that close the window” type narratives surrounding the team. Oh, we are out of money? Ok, but what if we hit home runs with literally every draft pick? What then? Are we still bad? What if we add 4 or even 5 draft picks who all end up NBA veterans? Who we will be paying basically nothing for, for a while? What then? Adding good players to Steph = still bad?
@Davey J- Druuu’s comment was goofy but you wrote 4 paragraphs stating why the window isn’t closed (and calling those who disagree “hater clowns”) in defense of a team who finished 10th in the conference last season, will likely lose Klay, and are already transitioning to a more youthful team. Seems to me like those who called it last season were right.
So Kuminga, Moody, Jackson-Davis and Podziemski are all horrible players, huh? Adding them to Steph is a bad thing, you say? Surrounding Steph with good players will lead to rings, you goofball! A second window has just hit the building, haha
Also I only wrote 1 paragraph about how the window was still open, dont lie on main like this.
Truth hurts man. Great run with one of the best players in NBA history. But it’s over for the warriors from my view. You can champion B-Pod, Moody, Kuminga and Jackson-Davis(lol) all you want, it won’t make a difference. You’ll be under the first tax apron sooner rather than later.
@Druuu cope more, I wrote “Warriors fans experiencing the other side finally.” you mean like when we did from 1976-2014?” And you ignored it. L take on your end.
Why you acting like GSW are the Lakers and us GSW fans havent experienced misery before? Why you so eager to dance on Curry’s grave? He is going to prove you wrong whether you like it or not.
You wrote 4 paragraphs about how great your team is, which is 4 paragraphs about how the window is open, by proxy. So, no lie told.
They’re good players, may be very good players eventually. Window is still closed for now. It may very well open back up with that group at some point, but there’s no chance the Warriors win a title next season unless they force it, which would probably be a terrible idea in the long run… so… closed.
I bought up 1976-2014, how is that “how great my team is”??
No, nothing I wrote before that is not “by proxy”, that’s not what “by proxy” means, damn, yall love piling on when you are both wrong around here, huh?
“there’s no chance the Warriors win a title next season unless they force it” lmao L – you have no point here, just mindless hating. Give me a reason not to mute you….
“By proxy” = establishing the ability to represent something/someone else. It was a stretch, but anyone with a decent vocabulary who has gone on to take a college English course knows the intention of my statement.
If criticizing my word choice and threatening to mute me are the best retorts you have, then you know I’m right. “Mindless hating”… FOH, clown. Again, you wrote 4 paragraphs defending your team because you were offended by OP’s opinion. This is a site to share opinions. You’re still offended by opinions. If you can’t handle said opinions then you know what you need to do… Mute me, snowflake!
You took that personally
Just a glass half empty type of guy.
Please inform us ….. or NoT
I was going to say something about Kenny Atkinson needing to land one of these head coaching jobs for several different reasons. Not only for his career and the success of the new team because of him and his skills, but I’m all for a fresh Voice next to Steve Kerr. Atkinson has been there 4 or 5 years? Let’s get someone else in coach’s ear with a fresh opinion.
Yes this will be a big loss in many ways for the Warriors but I like change and variety. Looking forward to the new guy whoever that may be.
If we’re being honest, though, Atkinson is one of the best AHC of the last 15-20 seasons. The next guy will likely be less effective. That’s just probability.
Absolutely correct. I agree with you. But let’s get a new voice because even the best head coaches in the world get let go because their schtick0 is tuned out after a couple of years. Pat Riley being one name I recall. Gets the success then gets the boot. Not always the boot but he realizes players tune them out after a few years. I’m just excited for a fresh voice and eager voice and a new right hand man, or two LOL
That’s fair. Plus, you never know, maybe you strike gold once again. The truly great franchises find a way to maintain competitiveness even after an amazing run ends. The Celtics, Lakers, Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Bruins, Packers, Steelers are all consistently good for a reason. Maybe the Warriors join those ranks soon.
Kudos to Steve Kerr is revitalizing Atkinsons and his other assistant coach’s careers! He’s done wonders.
More like Kerr had smarter people around him. I don’t Kerr is as good a coach as people say he is. If Mark Jackson gets another shot we will see.
Jackson was toxic off the court and holding the team back on the court. Under Jackson the team had an above average defense but a pedestrian old school offense and he’d taken the Warriors as far he could take them. In Mark Jackson’s final season the Warriors go 51-31 and lose in the first round. The Warriors fire Mark Jackson and hire Steve Kerr, he then brings in his motion offense and enables Curry to be the player he is now. They win 16 more games and an NBA championship with the only major changes being Shaun Livingston to lead the second unit and Steve Kerr as head coach.
A head coaches job isn’t just X’s and O’s, it’s also about relationship management with not only players and team personnel. Jackson clashed with management, some players and his coaching staff.
+ also Jackson felt Monta Ellis deserved to be “the guy” over Curry, who was a rookie. While you are right in that Kerr’s motion offense, which relies on “Hamptons 5” defense too, Kerr is now too obsessed with small ball after Curry/Thompson/Poole destroyed Tatum and Brown in the 2022 Finals. After that, Kerr decided that was going to be his way, and we have been a nonfactor in the last 2 seasons due to this massive gaffe. If the front office fills the roster with more bigs, less smalls, we will win again, as long as Curry is the only small.
Also Kerr is the only HC in the league who refuses to play his players more than 30 MPG. That blows my mind, as it did not prevent injuries like they said it would. There was zero reason for Kuminga, who was the big defender we needed all year who avg 40+ mins, getting benched for no reason so some scrub who isnt going to be on the team next year can help us lose, just so Kerr can “manage Kuminga’s minutes” – these are 21 year olds, they could probably play 80 mins a day if they wanted. Also Kerr created this phrase “connector guy” which always seems to be a small, white, guard, when it should have always been Kuminga (who btw can also play point-forward). Kerr was a “right place right time” guy for GSW in the 2010s, but since the 2022 Finals ended he has proven he is just lost in this modern game now that requires bigs, and its time for GSW to move on and give Steph a different, new HC before he retires.
@daveyj It is pretty dumb to say that Kerr hates “bigs”. Name one worthwhile “big” the Warriors can afford? Who are you going to trade?
CP3 for Robin Lopez
Robin?
He’s terrible.
I meant Brook Lopez oops.
Except Steph avgd 32.7 min/gm this season and 4 starters played over 30 the season before.
jackson was good at defense but horrible at offense. Warriors should have won their playoffs series under jackson but experts agreed that his offensive designs were terrible.
Excellent take on Mark Jackson Chucktoad1!
Most fans simply dont understand what being a professional HC is about.
How was Mark Jackson toxic? Because he preached religion? That’s toxic?
Many of his assistants have beccome head coaches. Mike Brown and Atkinson reputation were damaged when they came to GS. Let’s give Kerr his dues. There are many more examples. Luke Walton…
Look, I am no fan of Kerr and never have been, it’s the whole “never coached any team that didn’t have Curry on it” part for me. I do get a little emotional about it, so I hyperbolize the opposite way to the “he’s the GOAT coach”-type takes, so no, he’s likely not as bad as I think he is, but GSW is in a position where his moves directly effect outcomes, and he certainly gets outcoached so often in terms of matchups due to his “stopwatch method” where he puts rotations out there based on game time, not on game score – that right there lost us so many games, and being GSW lost 12 games by 1 bucket last year, it can be said that those type of choices are why we lose more than anything.
Draymond punching Poole really nullified the “he manages egos” arugment (although Kerr looks better at this before 2022, and it looks like factually his HC-game has fallen off a cliff since the 2022 Finals). His in-game decisions the entire time (“why rest Curry now?” got said so often the last decade) are often very poor and result in losses. Kerr gets outcoached by half the leagues HCs due to the “stopwatch vs game feel/score” + other teams rotations where players are allowed to play 40+ and Kerr’s are not, but Kerr ultimately wins because Curry goes nuts.
We can’t really figure out how good Kerr is until he coaches another team, which after the last 2 seasons, should really be proving to us where we need to make changes the most.
Have you watched any games over the past 2 seasons? You some bizarre takes. Their biggest problem has been defense. That has nothing to do with guys playing 40+ minutes a night. That would probably make things worse.
Yeah sure all other NBA teams let their young healthy players play 40+ mins, even Lebron still was hitting 40 on the regular last season, but our team that doesn’t win the title is correct and best!!! Do you make any criticisms of the team ever? Did you mistake every NBA player for playing like Steph Curry? Not everyone is running a marathon. I have watched literally 95% of Warriors games since 2014, even had season tickets in 2018-19!
This clown has been hating on Kerr for years, making stupid take and after stupid take. He can only see the warriors through the eyes of hating Steve Kerr. He even made a new account because eventually everyone muted him. Don’t engage with his nonsense. Steve Kerr is absolutely one of the greatest coaches of all time, by any metric. If he was old enough to remember the warriors before Kerr, he would know why. Kerrs motion offense changed the NBA, both the way the game was played and the rules the govern the salary cap. It was like watching the Harlem globe trotters, they ran circles around the league. It wasn’t until well after the second championship that anyone outside San Francisco recognized Curry’s greatness. Before that he was always the “best player on the best team”.
Steve Kerr took everything he learned as a role player playing with hall of famers to win championships, everything he learned about fundamentals and sharing the ball with the spurs, the 7-second offense and transition game from Phoenix, and used it all to make one of the greatest team runs in basketball history. He’s gotten everyone to buy into the system and play their role. He’s managed crazy egos and a starting lineup with 5 all stars.
The irrational hatred of Steve Kerr, the insane bias in everything you say about the warriors being slanted against Steve Kerr… it’s really getting pathetic. How many accounts do we need to mute before you get it?
So Borrego gets the Pistons job. My condolences!
Good trade…passed on Charlotte, took Cleveland
Pistons should grab Bickerstaff.
Pistons are miles away, and I am a diehard fan. They will likely be bottom 3 again and get the number 5 pick again and remain in lottery purgatory. Not sure Bickerstaff would even want that job. I suspect Borrego given his connection to their new prez
If only he had a podcast! Then we could all make fun of him for being horrible!
Huh?
What are you babbling about?
He helped Allen and LaVert ….. good choice. They should sign Dinwiddie ….. seriously
Let’s wait another 24 hours before confirming this…