The tenure of Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Larry Drew began immediately following the team’s dismissal of Tyronn Lue after just six games.
As the Cavaliers wallow at the bottom of the NBA heap, it now appears that Drew will not return next season.
Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic indicate that even if the Cavaliers were to offer the 60-year-old Drew the job, major doubts exist regarding his willingness to accept the position:
“Drew was shocked when Lue was fired and initially resisted taking the job until the Cavs added more money to his contract, including a small financial guarantee for next season. He’s not sure he’d want the job if asked to return next year, which does not appear likely.
“‘I don’t know if I ever want to be a head coach again after this year,’ Drew told The Athletic.”
Drew has been plagued in part by a string of injuries that have aggravated an already bad situation that’s seen the team trade some key veteran players. Since taking the reins from Lue, the Cavaliers have continued to stumble under Drew, going 9-34 under his leadership. That includes the current horrific stretch that’s seen them drop 17 of their last 18 games.
Prior to becoming an assistant under Lue, Drew had served as head coach for both the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, compiling a record of 143-169. The first three of those seasons began with the Hawks in 2010-11 before he spent one season with the Bucks in 2013-14. In the latter instance, Milwaukee’s 15-67 campaign mirrored his current situation in Cleveland.
Vardon and Lloyd report that the six current possibilities to replace Drew have ties to either the Cavaliers organization or the team’s general manager, Koby Altman. They note that the list of potential contenders could grow if the Cavaliers are able to garner one of the top selections in June’s NBA draft.
For now, Drew will continue to lead the 9-40 Cavs, who host the Miami Heat on Friday night.
