Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein stepped down early this week after rumors came in hot that the franchise will not be moving forward with him as the caller on the sidelines.
This isn’t the end for Beilein however, as he will be re-assigned to an undisclosed new position. One of the chief responsibilities of the new role is having a significant part in the draft process as the former coach has connections the Cavs intend to take advantage of.
It’s also unclear how long Beilein will remain in that position although it’s safe to say he wouldn’t be back on a coaching capacity again even as an assistant and would likely be taking more of a front office or consultant role.
Currently, the Cavs have the second-worst record as they routinely switch places with the Golden State Warriors — which means that the wine and gold would be picking second overall in what is projected to be a top-heavy draft. The Cavs would most likely be taking a “Best Player Available” approach although if Andre Drummond exits, center James Wiseman could slot in nicely as a prospect for the frontcourt duo of Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson to mentor.
Beilein signed a 5-year deal to coach the Cavs in 2019 but barely even made it to the halfway mark of his first season as the team racked up a number of losses but also controversy. Rumors have swirled all season about opposition to his coaching style which culminated in star forward Kevin Love throwing a viral on-court fit after disagreeing with a play call. Beilein also had an infamous quote in which he claimed that the word “thugs” (in reference to his players) actually meant “slugs”.
