The Cleveland Cavaliers had a relatively successful season. Despite advancing to the second round of the playoffs, Cavaliers management decided a coaching change was in order. Cleveland's run to the Eastern Conference semifinals marked the franchise's deepest playoff run since LeBron James' exit following the 2017-18 season. On Thursday, the Cavs announced J.B. Bickerstaff had been relieved of his head coaching duties.
Bickerstaff's dismissal came one week after the Boston Celtics eliminated Cleveland from playoff contention. Bickerstaff had to steer the team through numerous injuries during the regular season and NBA playoffs. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen were sidelined with injuries during the Cavs' final two playoff games.
Bickerstaff was successful, but other issues apparently led Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and president of basketball operations Koby Altman to make a move. The coaching change could trigger a summer shift for the Cavs, who are hoping to sign Mitchell to a long-term contract extension and could make major moves while being tied to whatever James ultimately decides to do.
In the short term, the Cavs have begun their search for a replacement for Bickerstaff. 'J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human being,' Altman said in a statement. 'Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership.
The 45-year-old Bickerstaff went 170-159 in the regular season and 6-11 in the playoffs with Cleveland. The Cavs went 48-34 this season and stayed among the top teams in the Eastern Conference amid the rash of major injuries. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
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