Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert's Stance on Firing Kenny Atkinson after Dreadful Start Laid Bare

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has watched his team struggle to keep up with the top squads of the Eastern Conference this season. Unsurprisingly, there are reports that Gilbert and the Cavaliers front office will be making major moves to get their ball club back to contender status.

Making a guest appearance on the "All-NBA Podcast," insider Marc Stein reported that Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has become a sought-after commodity by a number of teams. According to Stein, Gilbert's displeasure with the Cavaliers' state could lead to Atkinson being dismissed.

"For the last couple of weeks, I've heard rumblings in coaching circles asking about Kenny Atkinson," Stein shared. "When Dan Gilbert is very unhappy, that certainly is not going to diminish or turn down the volume on any notion that some kind of shakeup is coming."

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

Stein also stated that the buzz surrounding Atkinson is surprising to him, as the 58-year-old head coach had performed impressively when he first took over the Cavaliers in the 2024-25 season.

"I'm like, the guy just won Coach of the Year, it's year two, and he's not even halfway through year two," Stein said.

During Atkinson's first season in Cleveland, the Cavaliers emerged as an offensive juggernaut that pundits projected as a Finals contender. The Cavs finished the regular season with a 64-18 record that secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland ended up on the wrong end of a gentleman's sweep at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in the second round. If the reports are to be believed, the Cavs' performance last season might not be enough to help Atkinson stay in the coaching seat for much longer.

Report: Dan Gilbert is "very unhappy" with Cavaliers' start to 2025-26 season

In his reporting on the Cavaliers, Stein cited fellow insider Chris Fedor, who recently shed light on the happenings in Cleveland.

"Two sources with knowledge of the situation, say that Dan Gilbert is very unhappy about what is going on," Fedor said on the "Wine and Gold Talk" podcast. "He turns on the games and he hears boos four times in the last five home games."

Fedor added that the high luxury tax bill that Gilbert is footing, will likely come into consideration as the Cavs organization weighs their options.

Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado