Golden State Warriors Lose Key Member of Organization
It was reported on Monday morning by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson had been hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers to be their next head coach. In his report on the hiring, Wojnarowski wrote the following:
“Atkinson, the top assistant with the Warriors, takes over a Cavaliers roster that advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals and won 99 regular-season games over the past two seasons. He joins an organization that includes two key players who blossomed during his tenure as theBrooklyn Nets coach –Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert
This is a big loss for the Warriors, who could be looking to make two additions to their coaching staff this summer, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. While Golden State would have loved to keep Atkinson, the former head coach had been in the running for several openings, and it felt like a matter of time until he finally landed another head coaching position.
This is a pivotal summer for the Warriors, and while their top priority is improving the roster, they will have to make at least one coaching hire as well. With Steve Kerr at the helm, Golden State has stability there, but their staff will need at least one addition to fill the vacancy left by Atkinson now that he is a head coach again.