Cavaliers' management dismissed the initial reports that Mike Brown was fired last week. As it turns out, the reprieve was only temporary, as Brown was officially given the boot on Monday.
The 2009 NBA coach of the year amassed an impressive 314-177 record in five seasons, but was doomed by two straight early exits from the playoffs.
Brown's dismissal only adds to the uncertainty surrounding the Cavs organization this summer. As you may have heard, franchise player LeBron James can opt out of his deal and seek greener pastures. His contract status looms over every decision the franchise will make this summer.
Can the vacancy help the Cavs re-sign LeBron? Possibly. The obvious move at this point would be to hire a coach that has some connection to James. He's very friendly with John Calipari and is known to admire Mike Krzyzewski, who coached James on the Olympic team -- but Coaches Cal and K have both said they're happy where they are.
Next on the list are the usual suspects -- coaches who have had some success at the NBA level but are currently available:
- Avery Johnson
- Byron Scott
- Jeff Van Gundy
- Lawrence Frank
But Johnson is reportedly in the mix for the Hornets' job. Scott seems to be waiting in the wings for the Laker position to open up, and Van Gundy really seems to like the lifestyle of a TV analyst. Charlotte's Larry Brown is expected to move on, and unlike the rest he actually has a title on his resume. But he and James didn't get along when Brown coached Team USA, so that's probably a non-starter.
But what about Phil Jackson? According to a rumor first published by Michael Wilbon, the Lakers will ask the Zen Master to take a substantial pay cut after this season. Such an ultimatum could inspire Jackson to spend more time fly-fishing in Montana -- or, he could look for a new job.
If you think the bidding for LeBron James' services will be intense -- imagine a competition between Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert, Nets' gazillionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov for Jackson's services.
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