Advancing to the second round of the NBA playoffs wasn’t enough for J.B. Bickerstaff to keep his job.
The Cavaliers fired their head coach Thursday morning, according to multiple reports, after they lost to the Celtics in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
It was the furthest the Cavaliers have gone in the playoffs since LeBron James’ final year with the team six years ago, when they were swept by the Warriors in the NBA Finals.
Cleveland did not have Donovan Mitchell for its Game 4 and Game 5 losses to Boston, as the All-Star had a calf injury.
Former Nets head coach and current Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is expected to be a candidate for the vacancy, per multiple reports; he coached current Cavaliers stars Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert with Brooklyn.
All eyes will be on how the coaching situation impacts Mitchell’s future with the team on a talented, but perhaps mis-matched roster.
The 27-year-old can become a free agent after next season.
The Athletic reported that if Mitchell plans to stay in Cleveland long-term, then fellow star guard Darius Garland could look to force his way to a new team to find a larger role.
Cleveland.com reported that Mitchell “grew frustrated” with teammates for a lack of focus at times.
Mitchell seemingly denied any rift on the team on X.
“I’m sick of y’all sometimes,” Mitchell wrote alongside a cap emoji.
Allen is also reportedly on the trade market, which would given Evan Mobley more room to operate down low.
Bickerstaff initially took over in early 2020 after John Beilein resigned, and by December 2021 he had signed a multi-year contract extension.
The 45-year-old, who coached the Grizzlies from 2017-19, went 170-159 during the regular season in his four-plus years as the Cavs coach, including a 143-103 mark over the last three seasons.
Cleveland (48-34) earned the No. 4 seed in the East this year and defeated the Magic in the first round in seven games.
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