After losing in five games to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers are making a change. According to multiple reports, Cleveland has opted to part ways with J.B. Bickerstaff, who has spent the last four full seasons as the team’s head coach and led the Cavs to back-to-back playoff berths.
ESPN Sources: The Cleveland Cavaliers dismissed coach JB Bickerstaff on Thursday. Bickerstaff led Cavs to conference semifinals and won 99 regular-season games in past two years, but change comes with hope of advancing deeper. pic.twitter.com/fxl7FJPdQ9
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 23, 2024
The Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with head coach JB Bickerstaff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Pelicans associate James Borrego are expected to be among candidates for the job. pic.twitter.com/PVU0ZUcRGb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 23, 2024
Not long after the reports hit the internet, Cleveland announced that it had, indeed, decided to let Bickerstaff go.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have dismissed J.B. Bickerstaff as head coach, it was announced today by Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman from Cleveland Clinic Courts.
LINK: https://t.co/DoOkm76UCj pic.twitter.com/OwSQ44EInY
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 23, 2024
As for the early names to watch for this vacancy, both Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic report that Kenny Atkinson will be a candidate. Charania also brought up James Borrego.
The Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with head coach JB Bickerstaff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Pelicans associate James Borrego are expected to be among candidates for the job. pic.twitter.com/PVU0ZUcRGb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 23, 2024
Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman and GM Mike Gansey will start to formulate a list in coming days, but one candidate to monitor: Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson. He coached Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert to playoffs with Nets. https://t.co/9GMvmp49BJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 23, 2024
Bickerstaff took over in Cleveland in the aftermath of John Beilein’s resignation during the 2019-20 season. The team took strides every year during his time as coach, going from a 22-win team in his first season to winning the first playoff series without LeBron James on the roster in three decades this year. The Cavs went 48-34 during the 2023-24 campaign and knocked off the Orlando Magic in the first round.
In the aftermath of the team’s loss to the Celtics, a piece came out in The Athletic that indicated Bickerstaff’s time in Cleveland might be coming to an end. Now, the team has a vacancy amid a crucial offseason where they’ll need to find a coach, then figure out which members of its core the team wants to build around going forward.