The Cleveland Cavaliers have ended the wait for Kenny Atkinson to return to the bench as a head coach. Despite one of the most unlikely success stories of the last decade with the Brooklyn Nets, Atkinson was unceremoniously fired in 2020 and hasn’t coached a team since.
While it’s exciting to see Atkinson return to the NBA head coaching ranks with Cleveland, one of his former Nets players could ultimately define his tenure.
Atkinson will coach several familiar faces in 2024-25, the most prominent being All-Star center Jarrett Allen. Atkinson was coaching the Nets when they selected Allen with the 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and was instrumental in his development as a player.
Together, they helped Brooklyn reach the 2019 NBA playoffs with a cast of unlikely characters leading the team to a 42-40 record.
In Cleveland, Allen and Atkinson will be reunited on a team that has expectations much higher than just making the playoffs. The Cavaliers have won at least 44 games in each of the last three seasons, made the playoffs in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and won a series in the last postseason.
However, if the Cavaliers are to overcome the hurdle and consistently compete, Allen won’t be the former Net who defines Atkinson’s tenure – it will be Caris LeVert.
LeVert is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic players south of the All-Star line. He began establishing that reputation under Atkinson in Brooklyn after averaging 21.0 points per game on .493/.462/.724 shooting in the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
Unfortunately, injuries defined much of LeVert’s career, until his arrival in Cleveland.
LeVert missed 42 games in 2018-19 and 27 in 2019-20. He played just 47 games in 2020-21 and was available for 58 games in 2021-22, continuing the unfortunate trend of his immense talent being overshadowed by his lack of availability.
Over the last two seasons with the Cavaliers, however, LeVert played in 74 and 68 games.leave Cleveland to think to what extent its constant availability can be sustainable.
Levert, who is owed $16,615,384 for the 2024-25 season, will become an unrestricted free agent in 2025. Health permitting, it stands to reason that Atkinson will want to keep a player he knows well on the roster beyond his first year at the helm.
That would certainly be warranted if LeVert could build on a 2023-24 campaign in which he averaged 14.0 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
Unfortunately, the LeVert negotiations go far beyond injury concerns. The extensions given to Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley kick in next season, meaning the Cavaliers will have three annual salaries of more than $38 million on their books, along with the $20 million owed to Allen and nearly $16 million owed to Max Strus.
With the second apron almost upon us, Cleveland will have to answer a simple question when LeVert’s free agency hits in 2025: Is he essential to helping the team win a title?
The answer will define Atkinson’s mandate.
