Kofi Inkoom
The Cleveland Cavaliers are taking their time to reach a final decision on head coach, J.B Bickerstaff’s future with the team, but according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Bickerstaff’s position is in “serious jeopardy.”
Despite guiding the Cavaliers to consecutive playoff appearances, which notably included their first playoff series victory without LeBron James since 1993, Bickerstaff’s future as head coach next season remains uncertain.
Bickerstaff has held the head coaching role for five-and-a-half years, stepping in after John Beilein’s departure in 2020.
Rumors regarding J.B’s job security began circulating during the regular season, particularly when reports emerged suggesting he could face dismissal if the team lost to the struggling Detroit Pistons at the beginning of the season.
The spotlight on his job security has intensified once again as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell short against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, losing with a 4-1 aggregate score in the series.
During his postgame press conference following Game 5, Bickerstaff was questioned about his future with the team.
He replied, “No one has told me I’m not [the coach], so I’ll keep showing up until they tell me not to…We’ve continued to build this thing the right way. Every single year we’ve improved, continued to get better. Play-In, playoffs.”
Last season, Bickerstaff guided the Cavaliers to their first playoff appearance since LeBron James’ departure in 2018. This year, the team made even further strides, reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals after being eliminated in the first round in 2023.
Now that the Cavs’ season has concluded, Bickerstaff’s future is not the only pressing question for the team. There are reportedly multiple teams prepared to make trade offers for Donovan Mitchell if the All-Star decides to leave Cleveland.