Why Cavs firing J.B. Bickerstaff is no sure thing despite nasty rumors

Now, before everyone grabs their virtual pitchforks, Cleveland could have some sound reasoning for possibly retaining Bickerstaff when looking at the coaching market. A team like the Cavs, who are looking to become a legitimate playoff contender, might not be able to afford to take a swing on an assistant with no head coaching experience.

That would mean exploring tenured retreads like Kevin Ollie, Maurice Cheeks, Igor Kokoskov, Luke Walton or others.

None of the aforementioned names nor do many of the other options inspire much confidence outside of what Bickerstaff accomplished with Cleveland in his nearly six years at the helm. This is the internal struggle that’s currently keeping the Cavs in limbo regarding Bickerstaff’s future.

Clearly, this Cleveland team is far more talented than this season’s results, and it’s fair to question whether that’s due to Bickerstaff’s tactical limitations as coach. But are there any other options that could improve what Bickerstaff accomplished? This is where Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman will likely be while evaluating Bickerstaff’s future.

Altman and Bickerstaff are close and have built this team to where it currently stands together, with Altman gathering the talent and personnel and Bickerstaff developing it. So, there’s a world where Altman likely does not think he wants to fire Bickerstaff. However, is there a way to continue moving forward to maximize what this team has with Bickertaff at the helm? If the answer is no, then the answer is to go in another direction.

What also hinges on Bickerstaff’s future is, unfortunately, not based on his resume. Instead, it is out of his control and hinges on superstar Donovan Mitchell. In early July, Cleveland is expected to offer Mitchell a four-year, $208.5 million extension. With that in mind, who exactly coaches the Cavs in July could impact Mitchell’s decision and his future with Cleveland.

Clearly, no player wants to be associated with firing a head coach. That’s why LeBron James seems distant from the Los Angeles Lakers despite the reported interest in J.J. Reddick, James’ podcast co-host. Regardless, the Cavs will and must keep Mitchell’s feelings towards Bickerstaff’s coaching and the team’s direction under Bickerstaff in mind when making this call.

Simply put, Cleveland cannot afford to lose Mitchell due to keeping Bickerstaff. So, if the feeling of moving on from him, or him wanting to keep Bickerstaff as coach of the Cavs, is how Mitchell is leaning, then Cleveland cannot hesitate to move with that in mind.

Despite so many calling for his job immediately, a decision regarding Bickerstaff’s future should be coming sooner rather than later. Until then, everyone from the fans, the Cavs, and Bickerstaff are in limbo, waiting for the first major domino in Cleveland’s offseason to fall.