Kenny Atkinson’s first two seasons in Cleveland have given the Cavaliers plenty to like in the regular season and plenty to question once the playoffs arrive.
His debut year produced a 64-18 record, a number that far exceeded expectations. But the postseason ended with a five-game loss to the Pacers in the second round, and the Cavs came away with more questions than answers.
Last season brought a deeper run, but not the finish Cleveland wanted. After reaching the Conference Finals, the team was swept, and the series turned badly after the Cavs blew a 20-plus-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1.
That’s why the conversation heading into year three is so pointed: how hot is Atkinson’s seat?
There were already people around the league wondering whether Cleveland should think about a coaching change after that rough playoff exit. Atkinson has shown he can win in the regular season, and he did get the team through two Game 7s last year before the Conference Finals.
Still, the criticism lingers because those series arguably never should have gone that far. The Cavs kept finding ways to win when they had to, but the same problems kept showing up from game to game, and the fixes never really came in-game or even within the series.
The roster issues weren’t just one-sided, either. Cleveland had liabilities on both ends of the floor, and they kept getting dragged back into the same uncomfortable situations.
The offense also took a hit after Jordan Ott left to become a first-time head coach with the Phoenix Suns, who took that team to the first round of the playoffs. His absence was noticeable, but it doesn’t fully explain the slow start or the shaky rotations.
Lonzo Ball, too, probably should have been benched a little earlier.
The pressure only grows when you look around the Eastern Conference. Other teams have improved this offseason, and Atkinson now has to show he can still be the right man to steer the ship in Cleveland.
Ownership still appears to believe in him, but there’s another layer here. Donovan Mitchell is very close with associate head coach Johnnie Bryant.
Bryant spent a few years with Mitchell in Utah before moving to the Knicks, then joined Cleveland in 2024 in his current role. He was also at the 7X All Star’s wedding, which says plenty about how strong that connection is.
That dynamic may not mean anything for Atkinson. Or it may mean the spotlight only gets brighter. Atkinson was hired after JB Bickerstaff was shown the door following Cleveland’s five-game loss to the Celtics in 2024, and after two straight playoff exits that ended badly, year three feels like the line between confidence and concern.
Bryant would be next in line, so it’s a situation worth watching closely.
In Other News...
Meleek Thomas May Have Already Forced The Cavs Into A Decision
Meleek Thomas did enough in Summer League to make the Cavaliers rethink the shape of their backcourt, and that alone says plenty about how quickly a young player can alter a front offices plans. Cleveland had brought in Dennis Schroder to stabilize the guard rotation, but Thomas early impression gave the team a reason to consider a different path, one that prioritized flexibility and a clearer look at the rookies place in the rotation.
The result is a small but meaningful decision point for the Cavs as they sort out their guard depth and cap picture. Teams around the league are already making similar judgment calls on veterans and younger talent, weighing immediate help against longer-term roster room, and Cleveland appears to have been pushed into its own version of that choice sooner than expected. The only thing left is whether Thomas summer surge turns into something the Cavs can keep building around once the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Just Got Pulled Into A Wild Kevin Durant Trade Idea
The Kevin Durant chatter that has started to swirl around Houston has now dragged Cleveland into the mix, and it is the kind of speculation that tends to get attention fast around the league. The Rockets are reportedly open to exploring trade options involving Durant, who is not being treated as untouchable, and one of the more eye-catching mock constructions has the Cavaliers involved in a four-team framework built around major names and a lot of moving parts.
For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious even if the realism is shaky. Any scenario involving a player of Durants caliber instantly changes the conversation, while the rest of the proposed structure adds another layer of intrigue for a team that would have to weigh present-day impact against long-term flexibility. For now, though, it remains exactly what it is: a speculative idea that has not been confirmed by any of the teams involved, with plenty still to sort out before it becomes anything more than an offseason talking point. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Just Opened A Door To Another Roster Move
The Cavaliers move to send Dennis Schroder out and bring Tre Mann back in was less about shaking up the rotation and more about creating options. ESPN analyst Zach Kram viewed Clevelands side of the deal as a solid one, noting that the swap trims salary and gives the front office a little more breathing room as it continues to manage the roster.
Schroder was not expected to leave a major on-court hole, which is part of why this transaction stands out as a functional basketball move rather than a headline-grabber. For Cleveland, the real significance may be what comes next, since the deal quietly opens a door to another roster decision the team can make with more flexibility than it had before. [Read more 🡒]