Kenny Atkinson will return next season as the Cleveland Cavaliers coach, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday.
The Cavs advanced to their first conference finals since 2018 this season, the furthest the team has gone without LeBron James on the roster since 1992. But their season ended in a sweep by the New York Knicks where each game was decided by double digits.
Support still remains high for Atkinson from key officials within the organization, team sources told ESPN. And after the Cavs were eliminated Monday night, both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden voiced their support for their coach.
"It's just hilarious," Mitchell said Monday night. "We've done something that we haven't done since 2018. There's going to be criticism everywhere on Kenny, but why?... We did it, but we did it with Kenny. We didn't just go out there and coach ourselves.
"I love Kenny. We love Kenny. We ride with Kenny and ultimately that's all that matters."
Atkinson will return for a third season with the Cavs after compiling a record of 116-48 (.707 winning percentage) during the last two regular seasons. Even though the Cavs fell short of their ultimate goal, Atkinson said after the series ended that he was proud of the group for taking the next step.
After losing in the second round in each of the past two seasons, and in the first season under Atkinson, Cleveland advanced to the conference finals after winning two seven-game series in the first two rounds.
But after a lopsided series against the Knicks, the Cavs are expected to be opportunistic this summer with potential roster moves, team sources said, especially after Cavs owner Dan Gilbert tweeted the team is "nowhere near where we need to be."
"I have confidence -- confidence in myself, first of all, confidence in the group," Atkinson responded when asked about his job security. "The roster talk, that's for down the line. Our front office has done a phenomenal job giving us a great roster. Obviously, there'll be decisions to be made like every summer, but I think we're doing pretty well with those decisions since I've been here. Just keep trusting. Trusting our process. Trust our collaboration."
