Report: Cavs receive permission to interview Jordi Fernandez for HC job

The Cleveland Cavaliers were reportedly given permission to interview Denver Nuggets assistant coach Jordi Fernandez for the team’s head coaching position.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are moving right along when it comes to the team’s head coaching search, which consists of a growing list of names, as we’ve extensively detailed over the last few weeks since Cleveland and former head coach Larry Drew mutually parted ways shortly after the 2018-19 season ended (Drew went 19-57 after taking over for the previously reportedly fired Tyronn Lue).

At this point, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the Cavaliers have interviewed Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jamahl Mosley and Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard for the team’s head coaching position, and according to the Associated Press’ Tom Withers, the team’s third candidate that has been interviewed is former Memphis Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

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It was reported recently by the New York Times’ Marc Stein that Mosley “is among the candidates Cleveland has already interviewed who is expected to advance to the next round in the Cavaliers’ search,” (per his league sources), as well.

Along with that, it was reported on Thursday that Cleveland is reportedly going to interview Utah Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen on Friday (per Fedor), who has already interviewed with the Grizzlies for their head coaching position, by the way, according to The Athletic’s Omari Sankofa (subscription required).

It was also reported on Thursday by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Cleveland was given permission to interview Denver Nuggets assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. for the team’s head coaching position, and for the record, Wojnarowski previously reported that Cleveland was given permission to interview Portland Trail Blazers assistant coaches David Vanterpool and Nate Tibbetts for Cleveland’s head coaching job.

Additionally, on Thursday, it was reported by ESPN’s Zach Lowe that Cleveland requested permission to interview Nuggets assistant coach Jordi Fernandez.

Shortly after that, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported that Cleveland requested and was given permission to interview Fernandez, who has seemingly been on the Cavaliers’ radar since January (and Vardon would note the permission granted to Unseld, too).

This is great to hear when it comes to Cleveland has been given permission to interview Fernandez, whose reported background in player development we’ve noted often over the last few weeks, and recently, KJG’s own Corey Casey explained why he believes Fernandez should the Cavs’ next head coach.

Fernandez has previously been an assistant coach, well technically, an associate head coach (from 2013-14) and was eventually the head coach of the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, from 2014-16 (h/t Chris Manning of SB Nation’s Fear The Sword).

As Manning also hit on, Fernandez was with Cleveland as the team’s “player development coach from 2009-2013,” so it seems that Fernandez would project as a good fit for Cleveland’s young key pieces in Cedi Osman, Collin Sexton, Ante Zizic and potentially the teams two draft picks next month.

Sam Amico of Amico Hoops highlighted how Nuggets head coach Mike Malone is very high on Fernandez’s ability to coach young players and hit on how Malone is impressed with Fernandez’s growth since the two worked together in Cleveland in 2009-10.

"“He’s a very good teacher; he relates especially well to young players,” Malone told Amico Hoops. “To see how much he’s grown since our year together in Cleveland is amazing.”"

Amico would add that former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager (and recently named New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, h/t NBA.com’s Jim Eichenhofer) David Griffin said how Fernandez was “an invaluable member of our team and has an extremely bright future in the NBA.”

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman and the organization are clearly taking their time with his head coaching search, and that’s plenty fine with me, as long as they get it right, and a candidate such as Fernandez, and likely Mosley, Jensen and Unseld would seem to be a nice fit for the team’s player development focus in the near future.