The Cleveland Cavaliers found more success than most people thought, at least in the regular season.
They won 64 games and led the Eastern Conference from start to finish, even splitting the season series with the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Unfortunately, the Cavs couldn’t get past the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Despite that, the coaching staff did an outstanding job this season, which is why it’s not much of a surprise to see that multiple assistants are being considered for the Phoenix Suns’ head coaching position.
Also, as pointed out by SNY insider Ian Begley, Johnnie Bryant has emerged as a legitimate contender to be the new head coach of the New York Knicks.
“You can connect the dots, though, on Johnnie Bryant. Johnnie Bryant was the associate head coach under Tom Thibodeau. He was hired by the Knicks, not by Thibodeau, but by the organization because they saw a lot in him. They allowed him to go to Cleveland and sign with the Cavs in a similar role. Logic tells you that he would, at least, be under consideration,” Begley said, via Knicks Videos.
Some notes on The Putback with @IanBegley about names that have been rumored for the Knicks to potentially consider as their next head coach:
🔸 Johnnie Bryant: "You can connect the dots, he was the associate head coach under Tom Thibodeau. He was hired by the Knicks because… pic.twitter.com/B5EJGNlfXl
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 3, 2025
Bryant makes perfect sense for the Knicks.
He coached under Thibodeau from 2020 until 2024 before joining Kenny Atkinson’s staff in Cleveland.
Bryant is an up-and-coming assistant coach who has already earned his stripes in the league.
He would make for a smooth transition in New York, as the players already know him.
The Knicks made a big gamble when they moved on from Thibodeau, who had strong support from Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the organization can’t afford to get on the players’ bad side.
The Knicks want to make the most of their championship window while it’s still open, which is the same approach the Cavs should take.
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