Kenny

Atkinson

Projected as one of the favorites to come out of the East before the season began, the Cavaliers earned their first conference finals appearance since 2018. However, they weren’t particularly competitive after blowing a 22-point lead in the series opener, with the Knicks beating Cleveland by 37 points in Monday’s Game 4. The sweep and the amount of money locked up among the team’s stars led some to speculate about the futures of Atkinson and the team’s lead executive, Koby Altman. However, reports on Tuesday are that both are expected to remain in their respective posts for the 2026-27 season. What Atkinson’s roster for next season will look like is up in the air. Donovan Mitchell is extension eligible this summer, while James Harden has a player option worth just over $42.3 million. Both guards spoke highly of Atkinson during their respective media availability following Game 4.

Atkinson reportedly accepted the Hornets head coaching job on June 10, agreeing to a four-year deal. But since that agreement, he added an NBA title to his resume as an assistant on Steve Kerr’s coaching staff, and he has decided to remain with the Warriors. Mike D’Antoni and Terry Stotts were the other two finalists for the Hornets job, so it’s likely that one of those two will be the pick of Michael Jordan and GM Mitch Kupchak.

It was reported exactly a week ago that Atkinson had emerged as the front-runner for the job, and this makes it official. Shams Charania of The Athletic also reported minutes ago that Atkinson met with Hornets officials, including owner Michael Jordan, on Wednesday and the franchise has decided on the former Nets coach to be its new head coach. Per Shams, Atkinson will bring development and defensive structure to a young and talented roster highlighted by players like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, and we’re excited to see how their fantasy games improve upon the hire. Atkinson did say that he’s only focused on the Warriors’ Finals run for the time being, but in Atkinson’s perfect world, he’d win a championship with the Dubs and then shift his focus to the Hornets rather quickly. What a dream that would be.

D’Antoni will follow Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, who will meet with Jordan on Tuesday. The franchise is coming to the end of its coaching search and it looks like they will be choosing between the two aforementioned coaches. D’Antoni was last a head coach in 2020 for the Houston Rockets, before being an assistant with the Nets for a season in 2020-2021. Atkinson was the head coach of the Nets from 2016 to 2020 and has spent this season with the Warriors after one season with the Clippers, both as an assistant.

Atkinson is currently an assistant on the Warriors’ coaching staff and was a finalist for the Lakers’ coaching job. Golden State already lost Mike Brown to the Kings and could lose another assistant as well. Charlotte is looking for someone to take over for James Borrego after coming up short in the play-in tournament two years in a row. Led by LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, Atkinson could help take their stars to the next level.

Golden State’s Kenny Atkinson, Milwaukee’s Darvin Ham and Stotts have already been named finalists for the coaching job, but Stotts was the first one to complete the in-person portion of the interview. Stotts is reportedly intrigued with potentially coaching Russell Westbrook and believes he can help him be more effective and comfortable with his role than he was last season, which is undoubtedly a main area of concern for the team. The other two should go through with their interviews soon as the Lakers try to find a perfect fit to follow up what ended up being a disastrous 2021-2022 campaign.

Either Atkinson, Ham, or Stotts will be in charge of making things work with Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis with minimal cap space or draft assets and a ton of pressure from the media and fans. Best of luck to whoever gets the job. They’ll have their work cut out for them. Atkinson coached a young Nets team to a playoff appearance with D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen leading the way. The Nets parted ways with him after one year with Kyrie Irving. Atkinson is currently on the Warriors’ coaching staff.

Atkinson spent a few years as the head coach of the Nets before joining Steve Kerr as an assistant for the Warriors. He’s considered a serious suitor for the job opening in Charlotte, but it’s no surprise to see the Lakers with some interest as well. Charlotte makes more sense with their need for Atkinson’s player development skills, and it’s worth mentioning that the Kings are said to be in the mix as well.

Atkinson is known as a player’s coach and his development of James Wiseman, along with the Warriors upcoming two first-round picks could come in handy for Kerr and the Warriors. He was an assistant with the Clippers last season and there was a chance he could land a head coaching job this year, but those plans are out the window, apparently. The Dubs have the No. 7 and 14 picks in the upcoming draft, so Atkinson should be looking at a pretty busy season in Golden State.

Lue may be an early front runner for the gig, considering his championship pedigree and familiarity with Pels Executive VP David Griffin from their Cleveland days, but Griffin also has some history with Kidd dating back to their time together in Phoenix. The Pelicans will also be interested in Jacque Vaughn, should he be jettisoned from Brooklyn, and it’ll be interesting to see if they come to an official decision before the NBA draft which is scheduled for October 16.