Head coach Larry Drew and the Cavs have agreed on a deal for the rest of the season and a partial guarantee for next year, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Drew will be the head coach for the rest of this season and has an agreement for the 2019-20 campaign if the Cavs choose to keep him. He will get a buyout payment if the Cavs decide to move on to a new coach.
Larry Drew was Tyronn Lue’s lead assistant. The Cavs fired Lue and promoted Drew to interim coach. Cleveland didn’t win a game while Lue was the head coach.
Drew wanted a more financial commitment from the franchise since his role had changed, and he got his wish.
The Cavs are 1-8 on the season and dealing with a whole lot of dysfunction right now. Shooting guard J.R. Smith wants to be traded, All-Star power forward Kevin Love is out for an extended period after undergoing foot surgery, and some of the veterans on the team don’t believe rookie point guard Collin Sexton knows how to play basketball.
After reading all of that, it’s not a surprise Larry Drew wanted some assurances from the Cavs. This organization is a walking disaster right now. Moving forward, Drew will be much more comfortable that he’ll have a chance to prove how valuable he can be to Cleveland. While it’s unlikely he will be able to turn the team around this season, this opportunity is something he can’t afford to take lightly.