Mike Brown is gone -- and some poor grad student is getting half his calls -- but his assistants are still employed by the Cavaliers.
As with all things Cleveland right now, this move must be viewed through the prism of LeBron James. The Cavs assistants -- Mike Malone, Melvin Hunt and Chris Jent -- all had good relationships with James, and you don’t get rid of anyone who has good relationships with the franchise guy right now, as Brian Windhorst noted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
That is particularly true of James’ shooting coach Chris Jent (who had other responsibilities as well, but that is the one everybody knows).
Jent actually spent time as the interim head coach of the Orlando Magic back in 2005. Really, that should not be enough to earn him potential consideration as the next head coach of the Cavaliers... but did we mention that he has a really good relationships with James? That is the golden ticket in the NBA right now.
What roles these guys will have under the new head coach remain to be seen (he would likely have his own guys, as well) but in the quest to retain LeBron James, the Cavaliers are doing everything they can. Including keeping the people he likes on staff.