Kenny Atkinson hints strongly he expects to return as Cavs coach

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson sure sounded like a man who expects to be back.

Whether he actually will be is another question entirely.

The Cavs were embarrassed Monday night in a season-ending 130-93 home loss to the Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, completing a stunning sweep in a series that frankly wasn’t very competitive.

Afterward, Atkinson was asked directly about his job security.

“That’s a question for Koby (Altman) and Dan (Gilbert),” he said. “It’s hard for me to sit here and speak for someone else.”

Still, the overall tone from Atkinson suggested he believes he’ll return.

“Listen, I have confidence,” he said. “In myself, in the group. The roster talk is for down the line. So, just keep trusting …”

Then came perhaps the biggest clue yet.

“We obviously have to make decisions,” Atkinson said. “It’s not gonna be the same roster. But I love this group.”

In other words, Atkinson spoke like someone already thinking about next season.

That said, this summer suddenly comes with real questions.

Atkinson won NBA Coach of the Year in his first season with Cleveland in 2024-25. But expectations changed quickly after that. The Cavs entered this season viewed by many as the Eastern Conference favorite, only to finish fourth in the standings before surviving back-to-back seven-game series over the Raptors and Pistons.

Then came the Knicks.

New York looked tougher, sharper, more connected and far more prepared throughout the series. The Cavs once trailed by as many as 45 in front of a stunned Rocket Arena crowd.

The midseason James Harden trade that sent Darius Garland to the Clippers will now face heavy scrutiny, too. So will the roster construction in general.

To Atkinson’s point, the Cavs technically took another playoff step by reaching the conference finals for the first time in this era.

But the way it ended changed the conversation entirely.