JJ Redick
JJ Redick so far has been a hot name in the coaching candidate pool this year, and rightfully so. Redick, 39, is a former Duke Star and played many seasons in the NBA. He won several awards in college such as the Naismith College Player of the Year in ’05 and ’06, played in the NBA finals with the Orlando Magic and played under some of the best coaches in the league such as Coach K in college and Stan Van Gundy and Doc Rivers in the NBA. He can bring all that he learned and apply it to his first head coaching job. So, why not Cleveland do such a thing? I believe Redick would pump energy into this team, provide valuable teaching to the backcourt and most of all – be a player’s coach. This is my top choice for replacing JB Bickerstaff as our next head coach.
Chris Quinn
Chris Quinn is another young coach that could provide youthful energy and bring valuable experience to Cleveland. Quinn, 40, had a short NBA career but quickly transitioned to his coaching career in 2014. Quinn began his career playing under the Legend Pat Riley and had one year with Erik Spoelstra. After he left his playing career, he started as a player development coach for the Heat in 2014 and has been in Miami ever since. He is Spoelstra’s top assistant and surely has gained vital experience in his time there. He had previously stepped in for the Heat as an interim head coach when Spoelstra was unavailable and seemingly is primed for his first head coaching gig.
David Adelman
David Adelman is another coach looking to get his first head coaching opportunity. Son of former NBA head coach and player, Hall of Famer Rick Adelman. David is currently the head assistant for the former NBA champion Denver Nuggets and has filled the head coaching duties for Mike Malone on occasion. Adelman is still young at 43 years old and has been with the Denver Nuggets for the last seven years. Prior to Denver he spent time in Minnesota and one year with Orlando. He helped the Nuggets win their first NBA championship last year, along with Nikola Jokic winning his third MVP out of the last four years. Jokic and Caldwell-Pope previously have expressed publicly their support for David, which is a testament to the type of coach he is.
Terry Stotts
Looking at the veteran side of the coaching market, Terry Stotts would be an interesting candidate. He would bring an extreme amount of experience to the Cavs, with his last head coaching job being the most successful. He was Portland’s head coach from 2012-2021, posting a .558%-win percentage. He coached the team to the playoffs his last eight years in a row, however, he only got as far as the Western Conference Finals once. He has experience with talented backcourts, as he coached CJ McCullum and Damian Lillard for most of his tenure with the Trailblazers. Both had tremendous success under Stotts, and he would look to translate that same success over to Mitchell and/or Garland. Stotts is 66 years old, so this move would solidify the win-now approach.
Micah Nori
Micah Nori is currently battling the Dallas Mavericks being down 0-3 in this year’s Western Conference Finals with the Timberwolves. He has been manning the courtside since head coach Chris Finch tore a knee tendon after a sideline collision in the first round against the Suns. Nori, a graduate of Miami University (Ohio) is native to Middleton, Ohio so a return to his home state would truly make sense. He has been an assistant or an advanced scout in the NBA since 1998, and now is Minnesota’s top assistant. He has coached under Dwane Casey and NBA Champion Mike Malone in his tenure throughout the league and has helped the Wolves in the Conference finals in his third year. He also has had a hand in developing Anthony Edwards into a growing Super Star and Rudy Gobert into a Defensive Player of the Year.
Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon certainly has taken the WNBA by storm, winning the WNBA Championship in her first two years with the Vegas Aces. It certainly would be a shock to leave mid-season amid a chase for three consecutive championships, but we have seen crazier things happen. Unfortunately, the NBA’s salary gap compared to the WNBA is vast, so no one would blame Becky for taking a swing at the NBA. Her resume includes a long 16-year career in the WNBA and she has sat under the legend Greg Popovich for eight years with the Spurs prior to her Vegas gig. She possesses a high Basketball IQ and could provide Cleveland with a unique opportunity if she was willing to leave her current role.
Stan Van Gundy
Stan Van Gundy, currently with NBA on TNT covering the playoffs as an analyst, has a substantial amount of experience and success in the NBA. His most successful Job as a head coach was with the Orlando Magic, coaching the likes of Dwight Howard and Vince Carter. He had a .657%-win percentage in five seasons with Orlando and carries a .566%-win percentage in his lifetime coaching career. He made it to the NBA Finals once but lost to the late legend Kobe Bryant and company. SVG is a defensive-minded coach and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. If he decided to walk the sidelines once more, Cleveland is primed with All-Star talent.
Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson has been pegged as a top Candidate for the Cavs job recently and is currently the lead assistant for Steve Kerr in Golden State. Kenny is a Mike D’Antoni coaching descendant, and last coached the Brooklyn Nets. He only had a winning record once in four years there, with his last season being let go late into the season. He spent time as an assistant for Atlanta and the Knicks to start his career before joining the Nets. In my previous post about Atkinson, I wasn’t too keen on the hire but after further investigation, he played a big role in getting the Nets to be a destination for the likes of Kyrie, Durant and James Harden to join. He has good developmental skills and has sat next to Steve Kerr for three years, which could prove to be valuable.
James Borrego
If you read our previous article right after JB got let go, we touched on James Borrego a bit. He is 46 years old and spent many years with the Spurs under Greg Popovich along with stints with the Orlando Magic and the (then) New Orleans Hornets. His first head coaching gig was with the Charlotte Hornets for 4 seasons in 2018, and only posted a winning record once but he certainly didn’t have a roster as talented as the Cavs. He spent this last year with the Pelicans back in New Orleans and could become an attraction to Brandon Ingram who is rumored to want a trade out of the Big Easy.
Steve Kerr (!!!)
I know this one comes with a lot of exclamation marks, but this is why I put this one last. It certainly is a pipe dream and ultimately would jump to #1 if there were any fruition to this theory, however I think its worth examining. Yes, I know Kerr just signed an extension and trading for him would come with a hefty price tag, but Golden State has an aging roster. After starting his GS tenure off to the boiling start, winning 3 of the 5 consecutive NBA title appearances – has only been to the Finals once (and won it) since. Curry, Thompson, and Green have been the core of the team since he took over and all are 34 years or older with Curry being the oldest. The trajectory doesn’t look up and it’s been talked about around the league that Klay Thompson is not going to return. We know what Kerr brings to the table, but why could he choose Cleveland? Kerr leaving for the Cavs job would instantly give him a young but talented roster and would turn Cleveland yet again into a destination city. This city has the most passionate sports fan known to man and could have the possibility of churning up another dynasty. Do I think it will happen? No. But it’s fun to imagine.
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Bonus: Darvin Ham
Darvin Ham is a former NBA player and a tenured assistant coach who spent the last two seasons with the Lakers as their head coach. Some would argue that his .549 winning percentage should have warranted him another season in LA, but he succumbed to the extremely high expectations that comes with having the GOAT on your roster. Darvin took the Lakers in his first season to the WCF and got swept, to being beaten 4-1 in the first round this year despite leading most of the series. It could be that Denver was their kryptonite, but that team had their struggles. I don’t think we have seen the last of Darvin Ham and he could quickly walk into this talented Cleveland team and have a playoff roster set for him.