Pressure is quietly building in Cleveland, and the spotlight is firmly on head coach Kenny Atkinson. As reported by Adam Mares on the All NBA podcast, there are concerning conversations about Atkinson and the state of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Look, I’ll flat out tell you, for the last couple of weeks I’ve heard rumbles in coaching circles asking about Kenny Atkinson and about pressure mounting on Kenny Atkinson.”
“And I frankly didn’t believe it because I’m like, the guy just won Coach of the Year. It’s year two. He’s not even halfway through year two, and he won Coach of the Year in his first season.”
“But look, Dan Gilbert, you know, Chris Fedor from The Plain Dealer, who covers that beat very closely and knows the Cavs as well as anyone, he reported this week that Dan Gilbert, according to his sources, is very unhappy with the state of the team. And when Dan Gilbert is very unhappy, that certainly is not going to diminish or turn down the volume on any notion that some kind of shakeup is coming.”
On paper, this idea is weird. Atkinson won the Coach of the Year award last season and is still early into his second year. Yet league chatter suggests ownership frustration is real, and when Dan Gilbert grows restless, big decisions tend to follow.
The Cavaliers look like a shell of the team from last year. They finished top of the East with a 64-18 record with the best offensive rating in the league. They were also a top 10 defense and were one of the best teams in the league.
This season, the story is far different. They are struggling at seventh in the East with a 15-14 record and have lost three in a row. Their offense is just outside the top ten, and they are an average defensive team right now. Last year’s shock playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers still stings, but the expectations from the Cavaliers were clear from day one.
They were supposed to battle for the top spot, but they are nowhere close to that now.
If ownership decides that Atkinson is no longer the answer, there are four experienced names who would immediately come into focus.
1. Tom Thibodeau
Number one on the list is Tom Thibodeau, who was shockingly fired by the Knicks in the offseason. Thibodeau had just led the team to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, but the ownership decided to move on. He is known to squeak out wins in demanding systems. The Cavaliers have a decent defensive identity, and Thibodeau can elevate them into an elite defensive unit.
There are obvious concerns about running stars into the ground, but the Cavaliers have a deep roster. There is no questioning his ability to raise a team’s floor quickly.
2. Michael Malone
Another name that could draw serious interest is Michael Malone. He was let go by the Denver Nuggets last season, despite having won a championship in 2023. Malone’s strength has always been about managing stars while keeping the role players locked in. Cleveland’s roster is studded with stars, and they could benefit from his steadiness.
Bringing a title-winning coach would send a serious message that the Cavaliers believe they should be contending right now.
3. Taylor Jenkins
Taylor Jenkins is another option. Jenkins was dismissed by the Grizzlies near the end of last season, a move that surprised many given his history of development and adaptability. Jenkins has shown that he can guide teams through major injuries and roster changes. The Cavaliers’ current issues are not from a lack of talent, but it’s more about cohesion, which is Jenkins’ strength.
4. Johnnie Bryant
The most interesting possibility may already be in the building. Johnnie Bryant, the Cavaliers associate head coach, has long been viewed as a future head coach. He was a finalist for the Suns job before Phoenix chose Jordan Ott.
Bryant knows the locker room, and he understands the roster. He could offer continuity to what the Cavaliers are building, instead of a hard reset. The Cavaliers will also remember the last time the team fired their head coach and turned to their associate head coach in 2016. They won the title that year as Tyronn Lue took over from David Blatt. History does not always repeat, but ownership is well aware of that precedent.
None of this means Atkinson’s job is in immediate danger. Coaches do not win the Coach of the Year award and get dismissed the following season. But still there are high level expecations in Cleveland, and Dan Gilbert’s patience could be running thin.
The next few weeks may determine whether this remains background noise or turns into a full-blown reset.
