Cavs: Koby Altman appears to have interest in Sarunas Jasikevicius for HC

You can add another name to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coaching search, in this relating to Sarunas Jasikevicius, who is currently the head coach of Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coaching search appears to be far from over, and it likely is just beginning, as we’ve often touched on here at KJG, as Cleveland and former head coach Larry Drew mutually parted ways a few weeks back (according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium).

Thus far, the team has already interviewed Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jamahl Mosley and Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.

It’s also been reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Cavaliers have received permission to interview Portland Trail Blazers assistant coaches David Vanterpool and Nate Tibbetts, and on Tuesday, it was reported by the New York Times‘ Marc Stein that Cleveland has interest in former Memphis Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff (all of these for the team’s head coaching position).

On Thursday, it was then reported by The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon and Tony Jones that Cleveland has been given permission to interview Utah Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen, and that, per Vardon, the interview is “expected to take place next week.”

Additionally, Fedor would note that Cleveland remains interested in Denver Nuggets assistant coach Jordi Fernandez, who just like Jensen, as we’ve touched on, is reportedly an early favorite for the Cavaliers’ head coaching job, according to Fedor and Sam Amico of Amico Hoops.

Now, you can add another to a seemingly ever-growing list of reported names.

According to Delfi (and h/t Eurohoops’ Stefan Djordjevic), Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman was in Lithuania seemingly due to his interest in club Zalgiris Kaunas head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, whom Altman watched lead his club in their Game 4 of the Euroleague playoffs against club Fenerbahce Beko, and per the report and as Djordjevic noted, “the two have been talking for some time.”

Here’s what Altman said on the matter with Jasikevicius, per Djordjevic.

"“It is wonderful to be in this arena. The atmosphere here is incredible. Do we want something from Zalgiris? I can’t reveal (smiles). Maybe. We will look at what we can do,” Altman told a reporter."

Nonetheless, Jasikevicius does not seem to want to leave his club at all right now, based on this tweet from Donatas Urbonas, a Lithuanian basketball journalist, on the possibility of Jasikevicius being a viable candidate for the Cavs’ head coaching position.

As far as his playing career, according to Cavs Nation’s Kenny Honaker, the 43-year-old was a “point guard for several notable teams in Europe over the course of his career, including FC Barcelona, Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv and Panathinaikos.”

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Adding to that, Honaker touched on how Jasikevicius “also served stints in the NBA, playing for the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors.”

Based on the above response to a potential Cleveland Cavaliers’ offer to the former Lithuanian player, which would involve a ton of work in helping develop key younger pieces such as Cedi Osman, Collin Sexton, Cleveland’s two 2019 first-round picks, along with Ante Zizic and still Larry Nance Jr., it’s hard to see Jasikevicius being a serious candidate.

I could be wrong, but if Jasikevicius is that comfortable in his current position with his Euroleague squad, coaching a team that has so many holes, and has a very talented player the likes of Kevin Love, but who always seems to get seriously injured with Cleveland, seems pretty out of the cards.

Maybe this is a guy Altman really loves, I’m not sure, but the other candidates as we’ve touched on, such as Fernandez, Mosley, Howard and Jensen seem to be more than worthy of leading the Cavs in their full-rebuild, and reportedly have extensive backgrounds in player development, which seems to be right up Cleveland and Altman’s head coaching alley.

Perhaps Jasikevicius has more of that background than I’m aware, but if he’s leading a playoff team in the Euroleague right now and is very content, wouldn’t it take a whole lot of convincing from the Cavs to get Jasikevicius to come here in the first place?

I’d rather Cleveland not hire their next head coach from potentially having to beg that candidate to do it. Regardless, I’m sure we are a ways away from Altman and company naming their guy.