While the Cleveland Cavaliers consider how they’ll fill their remaining roster spot, cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor took to the Wine and Gold Talk Podcast to report that the “front office is going to get together with (Cavs head coach) Kenny Atkinson when he returns from France.”
“They’re going to have a conversation about whether there are any players out there with with ties to (him) either from his days in Atlanta, Brooklyn, (or) Golden State that would make sense to fill that roster spot… Some combination of maybe the guy can play, maybe the guy can add playable depth, but he’s a locker room lieutenant for Kenny. Somebody who can teach some of these guys the system and set a professional attitude with the culture and stuff like that.”
“I don’t know who that would be,” Fedor admits when considering who Atkinson would suggest. However, he believes that Marcus Morris Sr. and Tristan Thompson could be considered.
Cleveland signed Morris to an end-of-season contract ahead of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at the behest of J.B. Bickerstaff. After showing he still has something left in the tank, he’s rumored to be pursued by the Cavs and Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
Thompson, a 13-year NBA veteran, played for the Cavs last season as well. There haven’t been any reported bidding wars for the Canadian center. Nonetheless, he provides the same intangibles —experience, toughness, and vocal leadership —as Morris. Furthermore, he hasn’t run into a potential chemistry issue with current Cavs players, like Morris.
Cavs Head Coach Kenny Atkinson May Poach Team France Player
If the focus is on players that Atkinson has coached, players like Morris could be considered. In the 2020-21 season, they were both with the Los Angeles Clippers when Atkinson was an assistant. Yet, Atkinson has been the head coach for multiple current Cavs players, namely Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert.
“I don’t know who fits that profile. Maybe it is Tristan Thompson… (or) Marcus Morris Sr… Maybe it is somebody else… Maybe it’s you know one of these guys that’s on the French national team…”
This leaves open the distinct possibility that Atkinson brings over a player from the French national team.
The French Connection
Les Bleus, known colloquially as Team France, will face Team USA in the Paris Olympics’ gold medal game.
However, while the team is headlined by Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, their supporting cast has been the x-factor. Guerschon Yabusele, Mathias Lessort, and Isaïa Cordinier have each excelled in France’s past two games. Due to the position groups that have been discussed, Yabusele and Lessort may be considered. Furthermore, though Yabusele is the more dynamic scorer and Lessort is the more pronounced defender, both players affect the game with their energy.
Nonetheless, Cordinier’s familiarity with Atkinson and Allen could give him a leg up. Interestingly, while Yabusele and Lessort have NBA experience, Cordinier played for the Brooklyn Nets’ Summer League team in 2019-20. Allen was among his teammates. In the Paris Olympics, the 27-year-old is averaging 10.6 points and 1.4 steals in 20.0 minutes per game, while shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3.
