After nearly a half decade under J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cleveland Cavaliers will likely begin searching for the next head coach for the organization alongside many other potential changes after another playoff defeat and looming concerns surrounding Bickerstaff's leadership.
Though nothing has been made official regarding Bickerstaff's job, the seat has never been hotter. The Cavaliers may still bring him back for another chance, but no NBA coach would happily enter a season with their job on the line every night. Similarly, players do not want uncertainty in their practices and locker room and may not respect their coach if they can disappear after any single loss.
Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman has more than enough questions to answer this offseason, but coaching may be the first one to target. In his time with Cleveland, Bickerstaff has brought the team to two NBA Playoff runs and one Play-In Tournament appearance. In the playoffs, Bickerstaff's Cavaliers have only won on the road once in a Game 2 blowout against the Boston Celtics in this year's second round. While his regular season resume has improved year by year, he is often out-coached and dismantled in the postseason.
Additionally, in what has become a growing trend among the NBA, a report detailed all the turmoil the team faced throughout the past years, including a lack of faith among superstar Donovan Mitchell and the rest of the Cavaliers in Bickerstaff. Players reportedly found practices unorganized and unproductive, and they were critical of Bickerstaff's offensive schemes during their recent playoff run.
With Bickerstaff likely on the way out, the Cavaliers' survey of the available coaching landscape will return modest results at best. Experienced head coaches are few and far between, and many of the options are open to hire for a reason.
Rather than getting caught in the NBA's growing NHL-inspired coaching carousel, the Cavaliers should explore options in current rival coaching staffs for a head assistant coach ready to leap to the top position. In the case Cleveland hires a proven assistant coach, their best targets should be those who currently or have worked for great coaching minds or successful franchises to find a candidate with years under a great mentor and a knowledge of what it takes to win.
Unsurprisingly, all of these talented assistants have appeared in the Los Angeles Lakers' list of potential head coaches. Assistant coaches on the league's best team are always the top candidates to ascend the ladder, and Los Angeles' decision will determine the choices other franchises make in their wake.
Coaching Candidate No. 1 - Sam Cassell, Boston Celtics
Former NBA point guard Sam Cassell has steadily risen in the NBA coaching mythos. With the Los Angeles Lakers' coaching search underway, Cassell has stated he is ready for a chance to run a team himself. If the Cavaliers begin their search before the Lakers hire Darvin Ham's replacement, Cassell should quickly make the top of the list.
After stints with the Washington Wizards and Lob City LA Clippers, Cassell joined the Philadelphia 76ers for three years before working as the Boston Celtics head assistant coach under Joe Mazzulla this past season. Cassell's vast experience in coaching and 15-year playing career should earn him a decidedly high reputation.
As a player, Cassell earned an All-NBA selection in 2004 and won three NBA titles with the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics. After retirement following his third and final ring with the Celtics, Cassell began working as a coach and eventually found his way onto Doc Rivers' staff, his coach during the 2008 Boston Finals run. Despite Rivers' shaky reputation since his Celtics years, his trust in Cassell's intelligence from player to coach speaks volumes to his value in running a successful team.
The Lakers were granted permission by the Celtics to interview Cassell alongside other respected assistant coaches, meaning the Cavaliers would likely not worry about being blocked from hiring Cassell if he is available by then.
Coaching Candidate No. 2 - Chris Quinn, Miami Heat
Another former player and constant name in coaching rumors, Miami Heat's Chris Quinn will certainly earn an interview with Cleveland once their search inevitably begins. If the Cavaliers hire a current assistant coach as a first-time head coach, anyone who has worked under the legendary Erik Spoelstra should be revered as a top candidate.
Quinn played in the NBA for six seasons, entering as an undrafted rookie with the Miami Heat in 2006. Three seasons later, he would be traded to the New Jersey nets before bouncing around to the San Antonio Spurs and then Cleveland Cavaliers for one season each. In between his years with the Spurs and Cavs, he played in Russia for one year. Quinn also attended high school in Dublin, Ohio, building a greater connection between him and the city if he chose to return to the midwest.
Miami's continuous success and unlikely Finals appearances do not happen without Spo's leadership and decisive tactics in the postseason. Quinn has worked alongside Spo as a player development coach since 2014, dating back to the first year after LeBron James returned to the Cavaliers. After two years, Quinn picked up responsibilities as an assitant coach.
With a decade of coaching and development experience for a historically successful franchise, Quinn has everything it takes to instill a hardened culture as a leader for another contender. He has stayed loyal to one franchise his entire coaching career, but he appears ready for the next chapter. As a student of Erik Spoelstra, the Cavaliers would be foolish to ignore the potential that Quinn has as the leading man for an NBA coaching staff.
Coaching Candidate No. 3 - Micah Nori, Minnesota Timberwolves
Micah Nori of the Minnesota Timberwolves has worked as an assistant coach since 2009, joining the Toronto Raptors until 2013 when he moved to the Sacramento Kings under a younger Michael Malone. He then worked with Dwyane Casey on the Nuggets and Detroit Pistons before moving to the Wolves three seasons ago.
Another highly-experienced, successful asssistant coach has entered the conversation to step into a head coaching position some day soon. The Ohio native recently entered the spotlight when he partially assumed the responsibilities of head coach Chris Finch after he suffered a ruptured patellar tendon from a late-game collision on the sidelines during the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
With Finch unable to stand and manage the team constantly during the game, Nori has roamed the sidelines and made in-game adjustments as the Timberwolves are amid a tightly-contested battle with the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. Showing the capability to manage a major role shift in the middle of the postseason with little trouble should catch Cleveland's attention immediately. One of Bickerstaff's worst flaws is his stubborn in-game adjustments, or lack thereof, that have led to late-game collapses with the Cavs.
If Nori can join the Cavaliers and immediately improve their in-game adjustments and rotations, he would quickly earn the respect of the players and the front office. As with every assistant coach, his inexperience could hinder his success at the start. However, a fresh mind with success coaching a young budding contender with a starring guard and two big men in the starting five makes Nori's transition to coaching the Cavs much smoother than other candidates may experience.
Additionally, Nori's welcoming and personable reputation matches everything the Cavaliers need. For all of Bickerstaff's flaws, he has never struggled to relate to his players and inspire them to offer their best. With the nickname of the "Ted Lasso of the NBA", there is no doubt that Nori would establish a family culture on the Cavaliers with a focus on winning at the highest level.
Still, the Cleveland Cavaliers have not removed Bickerstaff from his position, nor has Bickerstaff stepped away himself. The rumors of Bickerstaff's imminent unemployment maybe heavily overblown. In a new piece by Terry Pluto for cleveland.com, a "top NBA source" told Pluto that Bickerstaff has built "a lot of equity with the Cavs" and that the team will not be hasty in their moves. If the Cavaliers are still fond of Bickerstaff, he may not be on the move anytime soon.
He also still has a guaranteed contract until 2026. Even if the Cavs move on from Bickerstaff now, he will still be owed his salary until the end of his contract or the start of his next. Unless Cleveland believes their future potential is severely hampered by Bickerstaff, the front office cannot dismiss the longtime coach after three years of steady progression with a frustratingly redundant roster composition. Once again, injuries and an indecisive front office may be the cause of the Cavaliers' elimination more than the coaching staff.