Do the Cleveland Cavaliers have a “LeBron Return” trick up their sleeve? Instead of hiring the same old NBA retread coaches that seem to always be on NBA teams’ shortlists, according ESPN and Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer, the Cavaliers have reportedly hired David Blatt to be their new head coach.
Blatt is the former coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv who has played and coached in Europe for over 30 years. Blatt is the first European coach to take a top job in the NBA coaching ranks. According to Adrian Wojnarowksi, Blatt agreed to a 4-year deal that could be worth up to $20 million with incentives, with $3.33 to $5 million annually.
Blatt played college basketball at Princeton under Pete Carril. Wojnarowksi reported that Blatt was sought to be an assistant coach for Steve Kerr for the Golden State Warriors. While Blatt was the exciting candidate for assistant jobs, the Cavaliers had the foresight to lock him up as a head coach.
The Cavaliers have hired a coach that may shake things up at a time when they have the number one pick in the draft and LeBron James is mulling opting out of his Miami Heat contract. Pairing LeBron James with Kyrie Irving, Luol Deng, and possibly Jabari Parker could be an enticing line up for Blatt. Even if the LeBron return rumor is just hype, the Cavaliers have a lot of players just waiting for a good coach to mold them into a winning lineup.
Cavaliers are proving the ‘same old same old’ is no longer their mantra.
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