Donovan Mitchell breaks his silence on who really fired JB Bickerstaff and hired Kenny Atkinson

After the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the organization decided to part ways with JB Bickerstaff and search for a new head coach.

Weeks later, Cleveland hired Kenny Atkinson to fill the vacant position, releasing him from his assistant role with the Golden State Warriors and making him the 24th head coach in Cavs history.

The team made the move during a very important offseason for star guard Donovan Mitchell, who was eligible for a contract extension, which he ultimately signed. Because his future was such a hot topic during the offseason, there may have been speculation that he was involved in the coaching change. He recently clarified his opinion on this.

“I wanted the organization to make that (coaching) decision,” Mitchell told The Athletic. “Obviously I know people probably think I did all this, but at the end of the day I trust (Cavs general manager) Koby (Altman). I trust the front office to ask, ‘Okay, what’s the decision?’ And then they think about what the future looks like.”

Mitchell reportedly gave the Cavs his blessing for hiring Atkinson.

Donovan Mitchell has agreed to hire Kenny Atkinson @NickPedone12 pic.twitter.com/yzYDvbHrIn

— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) June 24, 2024

Pretty much everything has been going well for the Cavs since signing Atkinson, who has helped the team win 17 of its first 19 games this season.

Cleveland, which started 15-0, lost in its last game to the Atlanta Hawks, but overall the team can be happy with a 17-2 record and more than a month of the season in the books. The Cavs have the best record in the NBA and are 1.5 games ahead of the Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Mitchell was instrumental in Cleveland’s strong start. In 18 appearances, he averaged 24.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from distance.

Bickerstaff, for his part, landed on his feet, and the Detroit Pistons hired him as their new head coach after he was fired by the Cavs. Detroit appeared to be a better squad under its new captain this season, as the team has already picked up eight wins after winning just 14 games in the entire 2023-24 season.

Bickerstaff has led the Cavs well through the rebuild, and he could be just what the Pistons need if they want to finally put their own rebuilding era behind them.