The Cleveland Cavaliers are set
to sign Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson and
make him the franchise’s head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian
Wojnarowski.
Atkinson has been an assistant
for the Warriors for over three years, winning a title with the
team in 2022. He notably agreed to coach the Charlotte Hornets in
2023 but ultimately chose to remain with Golden State. Now,
Atkinson will take over a Cavaliers team fresh from an Eastern
Conference semifinals appearance and again take on the head
coaching challenge.
Atkinson was the head coach of
the resurgent Brooklyn Nets team that made the playoffs in 2019,
coaching D’Angelo Russell into an all-star season with young studs
Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen. In Cleveland, he will be reunited
again with Allen while bringing his touted player development
prowess with the franchise to unlock the potential of young star
big man Evan Mobley.
Atkinson was one of the final
two head coaches that the Cavaliers screened. The other one was
James Borrego of the New Orleans Hornets. The Cavaliers valued
Atkinson’s player development program and envisioned Mobley going
through it, helping with the final hiring decision.
With the head coaching vacancy
done and sealed, Cleveland will now turn their attention to closing
a deal for star guard Donovan Mitchell, as the two sides negotiate
a full max extension deal to keep the all-star in the
city.
