The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the market for a new head coach, according to ESPN.
The news that the Cavaliers have parted ways with J.B. Bickerstaff, first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, comes as little surprise. It was reported by The Athletic shortly after the team’s elimination from the postseason that the Cavaliers would take a brief period of time to evaluate Bickerstaff’s status moving forward. That time has now passed.
In total, Bickerstaff spent four full seasons at the helm in Cleveland after taking over for John Beilein shortly before the NBA suspended operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He finishes his tenure with the Cavaliers with a record of 170-159, which ranks fifth in franchise history in wins. Bickerstaff led the Cavaliers to playoff berths in both 2023 and 2024, as well as the NBA Play-In Tournament in 2022. He was 6-13 in the postseason in those three years combined.
“J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human-being,” said Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman in a press release. “Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership. The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. We owe a ton of gratitude for everything J.B. has contributed to the Cavaliers and his engagement in the Cleveland community. We wish J.B., his wife Nikki and their three children the best in their future endeavors.”
Bickerstaff’s firing comes at a time when the Cavaliers are at a crossroads. This offseason is a pivotal one in the future of the franchise. All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell is eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth more than $200 million. If he does not commit to the team, trading him may be an option. If Mitchell does sign an extension, the team may need to move All-Star guard Darius Garland, as well as All-Star center Jarrett Allen.
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