NBA Rumors: Avery Johnson Was In Play For the Cavs Head Coaching Position

KEY POINTS

Johnson could have been the Cavs head coach
Johnson may have fared better than Beilein
Cavs seem happy with Bickerstaff at the helm

The Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be happy with their new head coach JB Bickerstaff. The players are responding well, including veterans who were initially believed to be moving out. Of course, it would be still early to tell if Bickerstaff is the right man for the job. But the Cavs did have other options.

One curious choice is former NBA player Avery Johnson. The one-time NBA champion is no stranger to coaching in the league. Among the teams he handled before include the Dallas Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors. He even called the shots for the Alabama Crimson Tide, clearly someone who has coaching experience.

According to Chris Crouse of Heavy, Johnson drew some interest from the Cavs even before John Beilein inherited the reins before the 2019-20 NBA season. A big reason for this is because of his ties with Collin Sexton in college. It would have made sense but the plan never really got off the ground.

Compared to Beilein, Johnson could have fared better. The 5-foot-10 former NBA player knows how things work in the NBA. That includes handling pro cage players and differentiating them from college hoopsters. The Cavs could have thrived with Johnson but apparently all that is under the bridge.

Now, the Cavaliers are in rebuilding mode again with Bickerstaff architecting everything. So far, he has struck a good nerve with several players speaking highly of him. That includes Tristan Thompson who is set to become a free agent this summer. In a previous post, he lauded Bickerstaff for his ability to read players and is managing personalities well.

Coming from someone who appeared headed out the door, Bickerstaff could just convince Thompson to return and be part of something big. The Cavs have made it known in the past they would love to keep the Canadian so the coaching change could increase their chances. It remains to be seen if Bickerstaff can also hit it well with Kevin Love, someone Cleveland originally christened their new foundation player.

Love remains mum on his plans although he did say he was expecting to get traded earlier this month. The All-Star center expects trade talks to resurface in the offseason although his mind could change depending on the Cavs' new direction.