Dribbles: Could Cavs Give Monty Williams A Look?

Some random offseason dribbles on the Cavaliers, their coaching search and a few other items. …

1. Monty Williams was fired by the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, after what the team called a “thorough review and analysis.” Well, I’d say so. The Pistons’ season has been over for nearly two months.

2. So add a third team to the NBA coaching search, with the Pistons joining the Los Angeles Lakers and your Cleveland Cavaliers.

3. Williams, 52, spent one season in Detroit. That’s it. He’s still owed a whopping $65 million. If I’m Williams, I’m taking a year off, collecting cash, and maybe seeing if NBC Sports wants to hire me as an analyst after they take over for TNT. 

4. But if I did return to coaching, I’d want to really stick it to the Pistons. I might say, “Oh hey, look, a pretty good team in Detroit’s division also has an opening.”

5. Again, that would be your Cavaliers. If Williams wants to coach next season, he shouldn’t wait. He should give the Cavs a call.

6. As for the Cavs’ potential interest in Williams … well, that’s tough to predict. On one hand, he guided the Phoenix Suns to the 2021 Finals. On the other, he has a strong personality and has been known to occasionally rub players the wrong way.

7. It would also have to be quite the sell for the Cavs to their fans. “Hey everyone, we’re hiring the guy who just set the NBA record for consecutive losses (28) in a season!” Yeah, may not go over real well.

8. Meanwhile, the Cavs are still repeatedly linked to James Borrego, the lead assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans. Well, guess who the Pistons just hired to run their basketball operations? Yep, former Pelicans basketball man (and ex-Cavs guard) Trajan Langdon. So now the Pistons have a Pelicans connection with Borrego.

9. Connect the dots, and you’d have to think Borrego will be a candidate in Detroit. So if the Cavs really want him, they need to hire him, and probably quickly.

10. Several people have asked why I think the Cavs’ search is taking so long. I’ll give you the answer I give them — I have no idea, as I’ve never been involved in an NBA coaching search. But if I had to take a stab at it, I’d say it’s because they have yet to find anyone who’s swept them away.

11. I also think there’s the fact they have so much to prepare for — with the NBA Draft next Wednesday and the Donovan Mitchell potential contract extension any day now.

12. With all that, it’s prediction time. I think Mitchell stays. I don’t think Wiliams will be the Cavs’ man. I think Darius Garland could get traded, though I wouldn’t say those odds are high. I don’t think Jarrett Allen is going anywhere.

13. Mostly, I think the Cavs intend to stay the course during the offseason and see if a coaching change gets them to the next level. They have all the way until February to make trades if they feel there’s a need.

14. Who do I think the Cavs hire as coach? I’m just going to take a flyer and say former Cleveland Charge coach and current Dallas Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen. That’s not any intel. It’s a wild guess. And that’s what we so often do here at Dribbles Central.