REPORT: Current Leading Candidate For Cavs Head Coaching Vacancy

Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reports that Kenny Atkinson is the current frontrunner to be the next head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

April 17, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson during the second quarter in game two of the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Koby Altman told the media on Friday afternoon that whoever they hire to be the next coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers was going to have to meet certain criteria.

“This is a very highly specific job requirement in terms of the questions we’re going to ask," said Altman. "Very, very specific to the talent level. Very specific to how we can achieve even more than we already have, and obviously some characteristics we’ve been talking about from a cultural standpoint.”

One candidate is apparently emerging as an early frontrunner in their search. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported on Sunday afternoon that he was hearing Kenny Atkinson was the current leader for the job.

Still hearing Kenny Atkinson as leader for Cavs job but don’t be surprised if Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant’s name emerges. Bryant was an assistant in Utah when Donovan Mitchell was there. Sounds like Dan Gilbert is heavily involved, more than I originally thought.

— Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd) May 26, 2024

Atkinson was an immediate contender for the position when news of J.B. Bickerstaff’s dismissal was announced. Shams Charania of The Athletic was quick to report on it.

The Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with head coach JB Bickerstaff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Pelicans associate James Borrego are expected to be among candidates for the job. pic.twitter.com/PVU0ZUcRGb

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 23, 2024

Atkinson was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2020 and coached two current Cavaliers Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen during that time. He finished his tenure with a 118-190 record and became well-known for the job he did in rebuilding that interaction of the team.

The 56-year-old spent time with the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks as an assistant coach before taking the Nets head coaching job. Since Brooklyn moved on from Atkinson, he’s been an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Angels and Golden State Warriors.

While Lloyd alluded to Atkinson remaining the front-runner, he did mention that New York Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant (who was an assistant coach in Utah with Donovan Mitchell) could also emerge as a contender. 

Based on the comments that Altman made on Friday about their search, it appears that the Cavs are early on in the process. However, hearing some of the names emerging reported candidates could hint at what type of coach Cleveland is looking for.