The Cleveland Cavaliers and Mike Brown era has ended. Brown was the head coach of the organization for the past five years, but he failed to win a championship with Cleveland so he was fired earlier today. This move was expected after the Cavaliers' early exit from the playoffs due to the Boston Celtics. How does this affect the LeBron James sweepstakes? By firing Mike Brown, the Cavaliers have all but said "we will do whatever you want in order to keep you". This will allow LeBron to hand pick his next head coach if he decides to remain in Cleveland.
There are four main options for the Cavaliers' next head coach. However, none of these names will be brought in unless LeBron James approves them based on the stipulation that he will sign with Cleveland this offseason. The front-runner at this point is Avery Johnson, formerly the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Johnson is currently an NBA analyst, but he has expressed interest in returning to the NBA this next season. Byron Scott, the former New Orleans Hornets head coach, is also a proven winner and has experience. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is also an option, and he has a history with LeBron through coaching the recent gold medal team at the Olympics. The fourth option for Cleveland is Tom Izzo of Michigan State. However, I believe that Izzo will stay with the Spartans just as I believe that Krzyzewski will remain the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils next season. Although many college coaches are always considered for head coaching jobs in the NBA, few make the jump, and even fewer are successful. Look for Johnson, Scott, or a different coach to be calling the shots for the Cavaliers next season.
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