Cavaliers Make Kenny Atkinson Decision Less Than 24 Hours After Knicks Sweep
A 130-93 Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday night completed a stunning Eastern Conference Finals sweep, ending the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ deepest playoff run of the post-LeBron James era in just about the worst way possible.
After blowing a 22-point lead in Game 1, the Cavaliers never fully recovered, losing the series by nearly 20 points per game on average as New York bulldozed its way to its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
As a result, many fans assumed head coach Kenny Atkinson’s time in Cleveland might be over.
For now, though, it looks like he’s not going anywhere.
According to ESPN insider Shams Charania on “NBA Today,” Atkinson returns as Cleveland's head coach for the 2026-27 season.
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Atkinson was criticized heavily throughout the playoffs, but especially in the Knicks series.
Late-game adjustments, lineup choices, the Cavs stagnant offense and their inability to respond to New York's physicality all became central to the argument against Atkinson.
He drew notable backlash after Game 3, in particular, suggesting the Cavaliers had "analytically" won parts of the series, despite losing every game by double digits.
Yet, Cleveland clearly believes he’s done enough to earn one more year.
Atkinson arrived in Cleveland in 2024 after previous head coaching stops with the Brooklyn Nets and assistant roles with the Los Angeles Clippers and championship-winning Golden State Warriors.
His first year with the Cavs saw the team win 64 games, the second most in franchise history, and earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016.
Those Cavs also got off to a hot 15-0 start to the year, just the fourth team ever to do so, and Atkinson won NBA Coach of the Year honors by season’s end.
Year two brought some regression in the standings but still ended with a 52-30 record and a conference finals breakthrough.
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Charania also indicated Cleveland's front office is expected to be "opportunistic" this offseason regarding roster upgrades.
But if another postseason collapse follows for a team likely still headlined by Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, it will be hard to justify bringing Atkinson back for a fourth year.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 1:57 PM.