Report: Cavs to hire Kenny Atkinson as next head coach

The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to hire Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson as their next head coach, per reports surfaced on Monday.

Atkinson, a former head coach with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020, has reportedly began work with the Cavs on a contract, with the deal expected to be reached soon.

The Cavs' search for a new head coach reportedly had been pared down to Atkinson and New Orleans Pelicans assistant head coach James Borrego.

Atkinson was Warriors head coach Steve Kerr's top assistant over the previous two seasons, and now takes over a Cavs team that has won 99 regular-season games over the last two years. This past season, Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2018.

During his time as head coach in Brooklyn, Atkinson amassed a 118-190 record and earned a playoff appearance during the 2018-19 season, with a Nets team that included current Cavs players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert.

Prior to his first head coaching stint, Atkinson spent nine seasons as an NBA assistant coach between the New York Knicks (2008-12) and the Atlanta Hawks (2012-16). Following his exit from Brooklyn during the 2019-20 season, Atkinson joined the Los Angeles Clippers' coaching staff for one season before moving to Golden State. In 2022, Atkinson briefly accepted the head coaching position for the Charlotte Hornets, before changing his mind and returning to the Warriors.

Atkinson is set to succeed former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who was fired by the Cavs back in May after four-plus seasons.