Cavaliers Retaining Kenny Atkinson Coaching Staff, Front Office Moving Forward

Following Cleveland's disappointing Eastern Conference finals sweep, they seem comfortable keeping their staff intact for next season.

May 23, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the second quarter against the New York Knicks during game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers are officially in offseason mode after their heartbreaking loss in the Eastern Conference Finals to the New York Knicks.

A sweep is a sweep; there’s no way around it. As disappointing as it is, the Cavs deserve some praise for finally getting back to this point, something they haven’t been able to do since Lebron James’ last season in 2018.

Cleveland has a good team, not great, but good enough. Their coaching staff did a great job however getting the players to this point in the season, and the front office also deserves credit for building this roster the way they have.

Obviously, changes within the roster are expected at some point this summer. However, it appears the Cavs aren’t planning on making any big changes to their coaching staff or front office even after their conference finals collapse.

NBA writer for The Athletic Joe Vardon reported on Tuesday that Cleveland is looking to retain Kenny Atkinson, the rest of their coaching staff, and their front office heading into next season.

Breaking: Cavs plan to keep Kenny Atkinson, coaching staff, front office together after Eastern Conference finals sweep, @TheAthleticNBA https://t.co/EE418WBoyt

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) May 26, 2026

What this means for the Cavaliers next season

Right off the bat, this news may not be the most appealing to Cavs fans, especially with the way their season ended. But it is important to credit Cleveland’s coaching and front office for their work to get to this point.

The Cavaliers went out and brought in Kenny Atkinson last offseason to get this team over the hump and into the conference finals. An NBA Finals appearance would’ve been nice, but this was further than they had been in quite some time.

This past season, the Cavs had some of the best ratings in the league. Some of their offensive net rankings include 119.5 PPG, which ranked ninth in the league, 44.4 rebounds at eighth in the league, and 28.3 assists which ranked ninth. 

Outside of that, their other major offensive categories were ranked in the top 10 as well, including blocks due to their two big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The only stat that was amongst the league's worst was their three-point percentage coming in at 25th in the league.

Of course, a lot of these stats can improve next season if the Cavs head into the offseason looking to make some upgrades, potentially major ones at that. A few big trades could skyrocket these rankings next season, which means the coaching staff is safe for their work in 2025-26.

Koby Altman and his front office could make their case to stay beyond next season if they bring in some more firepower this summer. Kenny Atkinson will need to replicate their success from this season and potentially take the Cavs back to the NBA Finals if he wants to stay long-term.