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Mitchell's Words About Kenny Atkinson May Have Saved His Job
The decision follows a playoff run that ended in a sweep and keeps continuity after the Cavaliers reached the conference finals for the first time since 2018.
- On May 26, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced they will retain head coach Kenny Atkinson, his coaching staff and front office for 2026-27 despite being swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Cleveland's first conference finals appearance without LeBron James since 1992 marked historic progress, though the team lost Game 1 after surrendering a 22-point fourth-quarter lead and suffered three consecutive blowout losses, including a 130-93 defeat in Game 4.
- Over two seasons, Atkinson posted a 116-48 record with a franchise-best win percentage over 70%, earning NBA Coach of the Year in 2025 before guiding the Cavs to a 52-30 fourth seed this season.
- Moments after the sweep, star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden voiced their support for Atkinson, with Mitchell stating "We did it with Kenny," while Atkinson expressed confidence in both himself and the group.
- With the coaching situation settled, the Cavaliers are expected to be "opportunistic with potential roster upgrades" this offseason while managing the NBA's most expensive payroll at $229 million and making decisions on Mitchell's extension and Harden's contract.
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12 Articles
By keeping Kenny Atkinson, are the Cavs signaling a core shakeup — or doubling down on this group? Wine and Gold Talk podcast
CLEVELAND, Ohio — In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Ethan Sands, Chris Fedor and Jimmy Watkins break down what the Cavs’ decision to retain head coach Kenny Atkinson and the current front office really says about the franchise’s future.
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Kenny Atkinson reportedly will be back as Cavaliers coach in 2026-27
The Kenny Atkinson era in Cleveland is reportedly continuing into the 2026-2027 season. On May 26, several outlets reported Atkinson will return as head coach of the Cavaliers next season, most notably ESPN’s Shams Charania. The end of Cleveland’s season was a mixed bag of results. On one hand, the team advanced to the Eastern […]
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution83% Center
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources are Center
83% Center
L 17%
C 83%
Factuality
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