Sources: Cavs to retain Kenny Atkinson for 2026-27 NBA season

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Sources: Cavs to retain Kenny Atkinson for 2026-27 NBA season

Brett Siegel, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, May 26, 2026 ·

4 min read

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Sources: Cavs to retain Kenny Atkinson for 2026-27 NBA season appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Cleveland Cavaliers will retain head coach Kenny Atkinson for the 2026-27 NBA season following the team's 4-0 sweep to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints.

In two seasons with the Cavs, Atkinson has led the organization to a 116-48 record during the regular season, including the best record in the Eastern Conference during the 2024-25 season. This past year, the Cavs went 52-30, claiming the 4-seed in the East and taking down the 1-seed Detroit Pistons in the second round of the playoffs.

Amid major questions emerging from the Eastern Conference Finals about Atkinson's lack of in-game adjustments and failure to have the team ready to play, the Cavs will look to make roster adjustments instead of completely overhauling the entire coaching staff.

Atkinson just finished the second year of his original five-year contract with Cleveland that runs through the 2028-29 season.

Lead executive Koby Altman will also remain with the organization and continue to work closely with owner Dan Gilbert to come up with a plan to fix the major holes existing on the roster and put Atkinson in the best position to succeed, sources said.

However, possible changes to the front office include GM Mike Gansey, who is considered one of the favorites to take over the Philadelphia 76ers front office vacancy. At this time, many around the league believe Gansey has the upper hand for this position.

Whether or not Atkinson would be the scapegoat for the Cavs' playoff miscues was a big question being asked around the NBA on Monday night following the Knicks' 4-0 sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Aside from his lack of in-game adjustments against New York being looked down upon, multiple members of the Cavs' front office were unhappy with Atkinson's analytics comments before Game 4, sources said.

"Analytically, I think we've won the — I said three out of three [games in the series], we're two out of three in the expected wins," Atkinson said during the team's practice on Sunday, a day before getting blown out at home in Game 4. "I don't know if you guys follow that — the expected score. We've won two out of three."

Atkinson went on to explain how the Knicks held the series edge because they were outperforming their expected shooting numbers based on the team's analytics, while the Cavs were underperforming their expected offensive output.

Some within the organization felt this was an escape from the troubles that surrounded the team. It is also said that some in Cleveland saw this as a cop-out answer by Atkinson to hide the early struggles and failures from the first two games of the series, specifically the coach's and team's collapse in Game 1.

However, Atkinson has long been supported by Gilbert, and he has also had the backing of the Cavs' superstars: Donovan Mitchell and James Harden .

Although Atkinson's job security was being discussed around the league throughout this series and late on Monday night, the Cavs made it clear to him and others on Tuesday that the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year will remain with the organization. Sources say Atkinson and Altman spoke at length on Tuesday, as well as with several players during their traditional exit interviews.

The Cavs now enter an offseason of mystery regarding what happens next with their roster.

Dean Wade and Keon Ellis are two free agents expected to depart Cleveland with Atkinson returning, and pressure to make a drastic change to the core of this team is certainly mounting after being swept in the conference finals.

Mitchell will be eligible for a massive contract extension, and Harden will likely opt out of his contract to help the team by taking less money on a guaranteed, multi-year contract. This leads to big questions about the futures of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen , two frontcourt pieces who will make a combined $78 million next season.

Cleveland is currently projected to be a second-apron team entering the offseason, with a total payroll that exceeds $220 million, including Harden's current $42.3 million player option and the 29th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

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