Two favorites emerge for Cavaliers' head-coaching vacancy

As the NBA head coaching carousel continues to spin, the Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in one of the most interesting spots in the league. The future of Donovan Mitchell remains up in the air, and since parting ways with former coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavaliers are now tasked with finding the right fit to help move the franchise forward.

Ideally, whoever Cleveland opts to hire will also be a name who could help push Mitchell toward signing a long-term contract extension. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, two specific names have emerged "near the lead" for the Cavaliers' vacancy, which he detailed on The Hoop Collective podcast.

"The belief from the people I've talked to is that Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego are near the lead," Windhorst said. "It is not a surprise because J.B. Bickerstaff was sort of an older-style, defensive-based coach. You typically will go the other direction when you change coaches. Both Atkinson and Borrego are known more for offense."

Both Atkinson and Borrego are intriguing options and ones that make a lot of sense for the Cavaliers. Atkinson's lone NBA head-coaching gig came with the Brooklyn Nets when he took over for the 2016-17 season. While the Nets didn't have a one-year turnaround, Atkinson took over a team that was 21-61 in 2015-16, and by 2018-19, Brooklyn made the postseason with a 42-40 record.

It was a similar trajectory for James Borrego, who spent four years with the Charlotte Hornets and took over ahead of the 2018-19 season. It wasn't until his final season at the helm that the Hornets appeared to be turning the corner, posting a 43-39 record in 2021-22. Although this marked the franchise's first record north of .500 since the 2015-16 season, the Hornets still opted to part ways with Borrego.

Atkinson is currently an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, while Borrego is an assistant for the New Orleans Pelicans.