The Cavaliers have reportedly dismissed head coach JB Bickerstaff after four seasons at the helm in Cleveland.
Bickerstaff's departure comes as somewhat of a surprise after leading the Cavaliers to a playoff series win for the first time since LeBron James' departure in 2018.
Cleveland finished with a 48-34 record to claim the No. 4 seed in the East, defeating the No. 5 seed Magic to advance to the second round. Despite missing All-Star center Jarrett Allen for the entire series and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell for the final two games, Bickerstaff's Cavaliers put up a valiant fight before a 4-1 exit to the No. 1 seed Celtics.
Bickerstaff took over for Jon Beilein as Cleveland's head coach midway through the 2019-20 season. After compiling a 22-50 record in his first full season in 2020-21, Bickerstaff helped orchestrate a quick rebuild. He finished with a 170-159 record in four-plus seasons, leading the Cavaliers to the playoffs twice.
Why did Cleveland part ways with Bickerstaff? The Sporting News takes a closer look below.
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Why did Cavaliers fire JB Bickerstaff?
Bickerstaff's quick turnaround to bring the Cavaliers from a lottery team in 2021 to a No. 4 seed in consecutive seasons in 2023 and 2024 was not enough to keep his job.
Cleveland had a disappointing early exit at the hands of the No. 5 seed Knicks in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Bickerstaff led the Cavaliers to a playoff series win this year — the franchise's first without LeBron on the roster since 1993 — but the change "comes with hope of advancing deeper," per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Cleveland's front office "wants a fresh approach" as president of basketball operations Koby Altman and general manager Mike Gansey begin their coaching search, Wojnarowski reported.
Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson was noted as a "candidate to monitor," while Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego was mentioned as an "initial target," per The Athletic's Shams Charania.
What's next for Cavaliers?
The Cavaliers are in a unique position. They have a roster with plenty of young talent but need to pick a direction after two early playoff exits.
Superstar guard Mitchell is eligible for a four-year contract extension worth north of $200 million this offseason. He has one year and $35.4 million remaining on his current deal with a $37.1 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
Mitchell's name has frequently popped up in trade rumors and he will be one of the most desired stars on the market if he becomes available.
26-year-old Allen and 24-year-old Darius Garland are two other names that could become available this offseason. Both one-time All-Stars should net the Cavaliers a sizable haul if they decide to change things up.
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And then there is the pure speculation about a potential return for James, who has a player option to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
James sparked curiosity around the league when he attended a Cavaliers playoff game in Cleveland after his Lakers were eliminated. Could the Bickerstaff firing be a chess move to try and court The King? That remains to be seen, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.