NBA news: Cavaliers to hire Warriors Kenny Atkinson as head coach

After a few false starts, it seems that Kenny Atkinson is finally leaving the Golden State Warriors. According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Atkinson has accepted a job to become the next head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was inevitable that Atkinson would eventually leave his post as lead assistant for the Warriors. He’s in high demand, given his reputation as a well-respected coach in the top assistant role for a highly-respected coaching staff, who also has experience as an NBA head coach. Atkinson had interviewed for multiple head coaching positions since joining the Warriors, and two years ago was offered the job for the Charlotte Hornets before deciding to turn them down.

Now he’ll head to an exciting situation in Cleveland, where the Cavs were in need of a coach to take their young core to the next level after firing J.B. Bickerstaff at season’s end. With Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen around, Atkinson will have a lot of fun young players to help develop, and a legitimate shot at making a run towards the top of the Eastern Conference.

The Warriors were surely planning for this, and have likely been having plenty of discussions with high-profile coaches to replace Atkinson. In May, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported the team’s desire to add a big-name coach to their crew even if Atkinson stayed:

The Warriors had some conversation with former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham in recent weeks, per league sources. That isn’t expected to materialize. But it is a signal of the Warriors’ desire to add a big-name assistant, and indications are they are in search of either a former head coach or former player to fill the role. If Atkinson leaves, they may add two assistant coaches. It remains a fluid time across the league in the coaching world.

With free agency officially underway, there are going to be a lot of moves happening in the coming days and weeks. And while our eyes are primarily on Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, and the cast of free agents, it seems like we might be getting some coaching hires along the way, too.