A few days after the elimination of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics, head coach JB Bickerstaff was fired by the Ohio franchise, according to ESPN journalist Adrian Wojnarowski.
Arriving as an assistant in Cleveland in 2017, Bickerstaff had experienced the last years of LeBron James in the franchise, and took charge of the team in 2020, when it was in the middle of a reconstruction phase. He then recovered a squad that had just finished last in its conference. In 2024, after several transfers, notably that of Donovan Mitchell, from Utah, he managed to transform the Cavaliers into a team playing in the play-offs, and finishing in 4th place.
Who to replace Bickerstaff?
According to Shams Charania, journalist for The Athletic, two suitors are currently vying for the position of head coach of the Cavaliers: Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, and James Borrego, assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans.
