NBA Notes: Cavs, coaching staff, Kevin Porter Jr, Nuggets, uniforms

The Cavaliers’ coaching staff is losing another creative mind, and the WNBA’s newest team is gaining one.

Assistant coach Alex Sarama, known around the league for his innovative player-development work, will become the first head coach of the Portland Fire. The move, finalized after a premature LinkedIn leak, will allow Sarama to finish the season on Kenny Atkinson’s bench before heading west.

“It’s a great opportunity for Alex,” Atkinson told reporters after practice. “He’s not leaving tomorrow. We came to that agreement. We didn’t want to mess with how we prepared. But we’re going to miss him. He challenges traditional thinking and has helped all of us get better.”

Sarama joined the Cavaliers in 2024 as assistant coach and director of player development, quickly earning the nickname “Professor Alex” for his analytical approach to training.

His work with blackout goggles and the “constraints-led approach” (CLA) — a method that builds adaptability through controlled on-court limitations — has drawn notice across the league.

The England native previously coached with Paris Basketball, the London Lions, and the Trail Blazers’ G League affiliate, Rip City Remix. He’ll now reunite with Vanja Černivec, Portland’s new general manager and his former colleague in London.

Sarama joins a growing list of Cavs assistants who’ve moved on to bigger roles. Jordan Ott and DeMarre Carroll are now in Phoenix, Bryan Tibaldi is at Providence College, and Chris Darnell joined the Kings. Atkinson says he’ll once again promote from within.

“When this happens, it’s usually a team success and you’re proud,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of young coaching talent in our building, and we’ll be able to move forward.”

Bucks and More: Fred Katz of The Athletic spotlighted several potential breakout role players around the league, including Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., Cavs forward De’Andre Hunter, and Timberwolves rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. All three, Katz wrote, could swing games for their teams as unsung contributors.

Front Office Moves: Former Nuggets assistant general manager Tommy Balcetis is joining Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania as head of innovations, reports BasketNews. Balcetis had been viewed as a potential candidate to replace Calvin Booth in Denver before the team promoted Ben Tenzer to GM.

Rookie News: NBA rookies and award winners will wear new jersey patches this season as part of the league’s partnership with Fanatics and Topps, per ESPN’s Dan Hajducky. The patches are designed to blend collectibles with game-day uniforms — another step in the NBA’s growing memorabilia crossover.