Celtics target JB Bickerstaff agrees to join Cavaliers

The Boston Celtics have an assistant coach opening on their roster. After Micah Shrewsberry left the team to coach at Purdue, the team is looking to hire another assistant for Brad Stevens' staff.

Recently, the Celtics reportedly interviewed JB Bickerstaff for the role. Bickerstaff, 40, has 15 years of experience as an assistant coach and has also served as the interim for the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies. So, it's easy to see why the team wanted him.

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However, the Cleveland Cavaliers ended up agreeing to terms with Bickerstaff, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Cleveland has hired JB Bickerstaff as associate head coach, league sources tell ESPN. Bickerstaff was a target of several teams, but Cavs were determined to pair him with John Beilein and made him one of league’s top paid assistants.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 19, 2019

Bickerstaff's experience will help first-time NBA coach, John Beilein, to transition from coaching a top college program to coaching an NBA team, as Wojnarowski pointed out. That explains why the Cavs were so willing to pay up for Bickerstaff's services.

While the Celtics may be disappointed that they missed out on Bickerstaff, there are plenty of other coaching candidates available for the team. Notably, former Celtics player Kendrick Perkins has expressed an interest in coaching for the team, but it's unclear if Brad Stevens and company want a more seasoned coach on their roster. Either way, they will continue to try and find a replacement for the departed Shrewsberry.