Knicks assistant jumping ship to Eastern Conference rival

Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant will become Kenny Atkinson’s associate head coach with the Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bryant, who has been on Tom Thibodeau’s staff for the past four years, was still under contract in New York, so he had to get approval from Knicks ownership before he could accept the new job, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY. Begley notes that Bryant interviewed for the head-coaching job in Cleveland and has a strong relationship with Donovan Mitchell, whom he previously coached in Utah.

A college point guard at San Francisco and Utah, Bryant broke into the NBA as a player development assistant with the Jazz in 2012. He was promoted to assistant coach in 2014.

Bryant is the latest addition to a staff that is coming together quickly after Atkinson was hired in late June. Former NBA player DeMarre Carroll and ex-Lakers assistant Jordan Ott have also joined Atkinson’s staff as assistants.