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Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN
The Cleveland Cavaliers are starting the interview course of for the franchise’s head-coaching opening, securing permission to interview two prime candidates on the staff’s listing: Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson and New Orleans assistant James Borrego, sources advised ESPN on Wednesday.
The Cavaliers are planning to safe permission to talk to extra sitting assistant coaches, however Atkinson and Borrego are each prime assistant coaches with head-coaching backgrounds that attraction to the Cavaliers of their course of to exchange J.B. Bickerstaff, sources advised ESPN.
The Cavaliers superior to the Jap Convention semifinals this season, successful 99 regular-season video games over the previous two years.
Borrego is a critical candidate within the Lakers’ search, which included a second interview with the staff’s entrance workplace in Los Angeles on Wednesday, sources advised ESPN.
Borrego led the Charlotte Hornets to back-to-back Jap Convention play-in event berths as a head coach, enhancing from 23 to 33 to 43 victories in his three seasons on the job. Like Atkinson, Borrego has a robust repute in participant improvement — together with from his decade with the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant to Gregg Popovich.
Atkinson was 118-190 in three-plus years with the Brooklyn Nets, inheriting a full rebuild and displaying enchancment every season till he resigned throughout an injury-plagued 2019-20 season. Atkinson has robust relationships with two key Cavaliers gamers from these Nets groups — Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert.
Atkinson spent the 2020-21 season with the Clippers as an assistant earlier than becoming a member of Steve Kerr’s Warriors workers, the place he is spent the previous three years. Beforehand, Atkinson spent 9 seasons as an NBA assistant, 4 with the New York Knicks, three with the Atlanta Hawks.