Cavs coaching search heats up as candidates appear to stand out from the pack

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Cleveland Cavaliers are set to speak with New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego as well as Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson as the team looks to find a replacement for J.B. Bickerstaff.

“He’s in Cleveland now,” Wojnarowski said regarding Borrego. “He’ll meet with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, all day long. He’s prominent in that search. They’ll have Kenny Atkinson in later in the week with the Cavs.”

Brian Windhorst — also of ESPN — reported yesterday that the fallout of the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search has lined up Borrego as a “potential leading candidate” to become the newest head coach of the Cavaliers.

“So, James Borrego, who they interviewed about 10 days ago, he’s getting momentum in Cleveland,” Windhorst said regarding the Lakers’ coaching process. “He’s expected to interview there early this week as a potential leading candidate developing with the Cavs. And their situation is that they have so prioritized Dan Hurley that they have let other candidates — potential candidates — go off the board elsewhere.”

Both Borrego and Atkinson have gotten tastes of what it’s like to be a head coach in the NBA. The former has 331 regular-season games under his belt as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic, while the latter spent four seasons as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and led the team to a 118-190 regular-season record during that span.

Atkinson’s most successful season as a head coach came when he helped the Nets win 42 games during the 2018-19 regular season and secure a playoff berth, though Brooklyn lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the opening round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs after stealing Game 1 of the series on the road.

As for Borrego’s best season as a head coach, the Hornets ended the 2021-22 regular season — his swan song with the team — with a solid 43-39 record.

After getting eliminated by the Boston Celtics in five games in the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Cavaliers are looking for a head coach that will help them take that next step as a franchise from a good to great team and make a deep run in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

When healthy, the Cavaliers seemingly have the talent needed to advance far into the playoffs. Donovan Mitchell is one of the best offensive players in the league, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are two of the most talented young big men in the NBA and Darius Garland is a solid playmaker and former All-Star.