The Cleveland Cavaliers just lost one of their key coaches.
Jordan Ott will get his first opportunity to be a head coach, replacing Mike Budenholzer with the Phoenix Suns.
Of course, his new job with the Suns will be an uphill battle, and he will need some people he trusts there to ease the burden.
With that in mind, he might look to snatch yet another key assistant coach from the Cavaliers.
According to a report by NBA insider Marc Stein, Ott could look to get former NBA player DeMarre Carrol to join him at the valley:
“There have been further rumbles that Ott could try to bring former NBA forward DeMarre Carroll, whom he worked alongside in Cleveland, to Phoenix with him. Another option is trying to recruit Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley, who was still a player in Brooklyn when Ott worked for the Nets and was also part of the Suns’ coaching search,” per Marc Stein.
Carroll, who was known for his 3-and-D expertise and tough defense when he was in the league, was one of Kenny Atkinson’s confidants in his first season in Cleveland.
He was the one who convinced him to start rookie forward Jaylon Tyson when he nearly got a triple-double, and he’s an up-and-coming coaching figure in the NBA ranks.
To add insult to injury, the Cavaliers might lose another key contributor.
Fellow assistant coach Johnnie Bryant is reportedly a strong candidate to take the New York Knicks’ head coaching position.
He coached under recently-fired coach Tom Thibodeau for five years before leaving the Big Apple to join Atkinson in Cleveland.
Losing all three of them would be a big blow.
Then again, it also shows how great a team they were in their first season together, which is an encouraging sign for the future.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Why Cavs Are In 'Very Good Shape' For The Future
