Cavaliers Pluck Key Coach From Knicks For Kenny Atkinson's Staff

Johnnie Bryant is set to join Cleveland's coaching staff as an associate head coach

Jan 2, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (right) warms up with assistant coach Johnnie Bryant prior to the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports / Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

New Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson continues to put the finishing touches on his coaching staff and his latest addition is a massive one.

According to multiple reports, Atkinson has plucked New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant to join him in the same role with the Wine and Gold. It's a key addition for Cleveland considering Bryant's extremely tight nit relationship with Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell.

New York Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant has agreed on a deal to become associate head coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN. Bryant will join Kenny Atkinson’s new staff after four years with the Knicks and the previous six with the Utah Jazz. pic.twitter.com/ywyjxpMVst

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2024

The pair crossed paths with the Utah Jazz where Mitchell spent the first five years of his career before being traded to Cleveland. Bryant, who served as a player development coach for Mitchell in Utah for six seasons left the organization in 2020 to become the Knicks associate head coach. His presence in New York is one of the main reasons behind Mitchell being linked to that organization when he was first being shopped in 2022.

Bryant interviewed for the Cavaliers vacant head coaching job earlier this offseason after spending the last four seasons in New York, but wasn't selected. The Cavaliers, however, felt strongly about his coaching pedigree to make him Atkinson's right hand man in this new regime.

His relationship with Mitchell also played an important role in swiping Bryant from the Knicks. Mitchell has been Bryant's biggest advocate throughout his first two years in Cleveland, crediting him for being one of the biggest influences on the player he is today.

The hire of Bryant is also notable because of the recent history of Cavaliers associate head coaches being promoted to head coach. Back in 2014 when the team hired David Blatt as head coach, Ty Lue was named associate head coach of his staff and later took over Blatt's seat when he was fired in January of 2016. Lue, of course, went on to lead the organization to its first championship that summer.

A similar thing occurred in 2020 after the team had hied long-time Michigan head man John Beilein to be the team's head coach in 2019. Beilein resigned after just 54 games, pavpaving the way for J.B. Bickerstaff to take over. Like Bryant, both Lue and Bickerstaff interviewed for head coaching vacancies in those respective years.