Report: Cavaliers Expected To Hire James Borrego Or Kenny Atkinson

According to NBA insiders Michael Scotto (HoopsHype) and Chris Fedor (Cleveland.com), the Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to hire James Borrego or Kenny Atkinson as their next head coach. 

Borrego is the favorite to land the Cavaliers gig. 

“I believe, based on the intel I’ve been able to gather, that James Borrego is the leader in the clubhouse for this thing,” Fedor said on Scotto’s podcast. “They’re into the next phase of this interview process, where they’ve taken 10 candidates and shrunk it to four or five finalists. Borrego met with them in person on Tuesday. Atkinson is supposed to meet with them at some point this week as well. I believe Borrego is the leader in the clubhouse and has interviewed well from everything I’ve heard and the intel they’ve gotten back from people close to James, who’ve worked with James and have seen his strengths and weaknesses up close and personal.

“Every general manager has relationships with other organizations across the league. Some of those trustworthy connections are stronger than others. For example, Koby Altman is very close to Justin Zanik, one of the Jazz executives, and they’ve worked out a number of deals. I say that to bring up this point: There are no ties between the Cavaliers and any other organization in the NBA that are stronger than the ones they have with the New Orleans Pelicans.”

Borrego has coached the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets. He is 148-183 in the regular season.

Borrego has never made the playoffs as a head coach. 

Atkinson went 118-190 with the Brooklyn Nets in the regular season. He was 1-4 in the postseason. 

“Kenny Atkinson did a video Zoom interview with the Cavaliers, I’m told,” Scotto said. “Atkinson will be an assistant coach on the French National Team this summer. For Atkinson, who has strong relationships with Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, the big question Cleveland is asking is whether he can coach a team that’s ready to compete now in their eyes. I think so. He had little talent to work with in Brooklyn and maximized it, and the year the Nets made the No. 6 seed, nobody thought they would be that good. I’d like to think if he had more talent, he’d be able to maximize it.”

Most people around the NBA expect Cleveland to hire Borrego.

The Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2024 playoffs in five games.