12 Cavs coaching candidates who could be in the running to succeed J.B. Bickerstaff (2024)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs made their first big offseason move on Thursday, firing coach J.B. Bickerstaff after more than four years.

“J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human-being,” said president of basketball operations Koby Altman. “Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership. The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships.”

This past season, Cleveland won 48 games, finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time without LeBron James in more than three decades. That still wasn’t enough. It’s about the future. There are other franchise-altering decisions ahead.

But it starts with finding the right coaching fit. Altman and general manager Mike Gansey are expected to take some time to decompress over the weekend. They will soon begin to compile a list of potential replacements — a search expected to include names with previous head-coaching experience as well as potential first-timers.

So, where could the Cavs turn?

Here’s a look at some candidates to watch, in alphabetical order:

David Adelman

Adelman is the Nuggets’ top assistant and has become a popular name on the heels of Denver’s title run last season. In his seventh season with the Nuggets, he is also one of the many candidates to take over for fired Darvin Ham in Los Angeles.

Kenny Atkinson

One rival executive labeled Atkinson, currently an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, as the early frontrunner — although that feels premature.

A former college point guard, Atkinson started his NBA coaching career as an assistant under Mike D’Antoni in New York about 15 years ago. He got his first — and only — head-coaching opportunity eight years later, guiding the Brooklyn Nets through a rebuild and making the playoffs in his third season before resigning amid an ownership change and sweeping roster changes that included the arrivals of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Atkinson is known as a great player-development coach with an affinity to analytics — two things Cleveland’s front office values greatly.

James Borrego

Currently an assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans and a candidate for the Lakers’ head coaching vacancy, Borrego has 331 games of head-coaching experience and zero playoff appearances. Tutored by Gregg Popovich, Borrego is known for his effective strategies and detailed X’s and O’s. He is considered the driving force behind the Pelicans’ offensive improvement, ranking just outside the top 10 after being 20th before he arrived.

Johnnie Bryant

The Cavs don’t need someone with ties to star guard Donovan Mitchell in order for him to sign a long-term extension. Mitchell is happy in Cleveland. He has said that numerous times. He believes in the direction of the organization.

That might be enough.

But no one has meant more to Mitchell’s career than Bryant — a friend, mentor and one-time development coach. Bryant doesn’t have any head-coaching experience. But he has been the associate coach to Tom Thibodeau in New York the last four years, expanding his role and prepping himself for a bigger gig.

Could it be his time?

Sam Cassell

Currently an assistant with the Boston Celtics, Cassell will get a head coaching job from someone soon. A three-time NBA champion who is considered well-respected by players and praised for his development skills, Cassell reportedly met with the Lakers recently. He received 7% of the preseason vote for league’s best assistant. He’s also been on staff with the Wizards, Clippers and 76ers.

Alex Jensen

Sometimes, coaching hires are about relationships. Just look at the Cavs’ search five years ago. It ended with John Beilein, who coached Gansey in college, was extremely close with Altman and had Gilbert’s Michigan-turned eye for years. The trifecta. Then came Bickerstaff as Beilein’s right-hand man — an obvious throughline that could be drawn to his father, Bernie, already being in the organization at the time and a yearslong connection with Altman.

Enter Jensen, who got his initial pro gig with the Charge, as the first head coach of Cleveland’s G League affiliate. Following a brief stint there, Jensen moved on to Utah, becoming one of Quin Snyder’s top aides and spending years alongside Mitchell.

Dave Joerger

Not only does Joerger have a pair of head-coaching stints on his resume — Memphis and Sacramento — but he spent a brief period with the Cavs as Bickerstaff’s coaching consultant before joining Doc Rivers in Milwaukee around the midpoint of the season. Some thought it made him the obvious choice to replace Bickerstaff if an in-season firing occurred. Joerger has intimate knowledge of the Cleveland situation and its roster. The Cavs clearly like him.

Micah Nori

Been watching the NBA playoffs? Nori is the Timberwolves assistant who has stepped forward for injured head coach Chris Finch. While he’s knee-deep in the conference finals, with a Minnesota team that has title aspirations, there’s widespread belief that the Cavs would at least like to have a conversation with him, and it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to get an interview at some point during this process. An Ohio native, Nori has also been an assistant in Toronto, Sacramento, Denver and Detroit.

Redick — the popular podcaster and ESPN analyst who has been on the NBA radar for years — has been rumored to be a leading candidate for the Lakers’ head coaching position.

But what if he determines that isn’t the right fit?

A polarizing candidate because of his lack of coaching experience at any level, Redick has a deep understanding of the game and its modern principles. He would help infuse new ideas and bring a different voice. He’s also well-respected around the league with connections to numerous players and organizations.

Terry Stotts

With extensive head coaching experience — the Portland Trail Blazers’ bench boss for parts of nine seasons and stints in both Atlanta and Milwaukee — Stotts fits the ready-made profile. He’s also got experience maximizing a dynamic backcourt (Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum), turning the Blazers into a top 10 offense in six of nine years.

Stotts was set up to be an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks but stepped down in October of last year.

Prior to this season, NBA GMs were asked to identify the league’s best assistant coach, with Stotts finishing second behind Jordi Fernandez, the newest coach of the Brooklyn Nets who the Cavs would’ve been interested in.

Sean Sweeney

Teams often try to pluck assistants from successful organizations. With the Mavericks being in the West finals, Sweeney could be one of those under-the-radar names to watch. Not only do the Cavs have a former Dallas executive in their front office, but Sweeney is considered a defensive czar, helping the Mavericks rise near the top of the playoff rankings in that category — an obvious fit for a defense-first Cavs team.

Frank Vogel

Vogel is the only realistic candidate — unless Tyronn Lue exits L.A. this summer — with an NBA title as a head coach. He won it in “The Bubble” with LeBron James. He also took the Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and 2014. Despite a strong resume and previous success, the Suns fired Vogel in favor of Mike Budenholzer after just one, expectation-filled season that didn’t go according to plan. He, too, is considered an elite defensive mastermind.

Others to watch: Portland assistant Scott Brooks, Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn, former Lakers assistant Phil Handy, ex-Villanova coach Jay Wright.