Will the Cleveland Cavaliers fire Kenny Atkinson if they lose to the Toronto Raptors?
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson could be on the hot seat.
The Cavaliers are tied with the Toronto Raptors 2-2 in the first round of the 2026 playoffs despite having James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Cleveland had the best record in the East last season but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs. The franchise hasn't reached the conference finals since 2018.
Atkinson won the Coach of the Year Award last season. He's in his second year with the Cavaliers, who haven't gotten past the second round with Mitchell leading the way. Mitchell was traded by the Utah Jazz to Cleveland in 2022.
If the Cavaliers lose to the Raptors, would Dan Gilbert really fire Atkinson? It's possible. Gilbert could also make changes to the roster and fire Koby Altman.
Mitchell is eligible to sign an extension with Cleveland this offseason. Harden has a player option for next season that he's expected to decline to enter free agency. If the Cavaliers lose to the Raptors or don't make the NBA Finals, there is a scenario where Mitchell doesn't sign an extension and becomes a trade candidate and Harden leaves the team in free agency.
"I feel secure in saying if the Cavs don't make the conference finals, nobody is safe. Top down. Everyone's fair game to be traded," Cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins said. "There is a scenario here where the Cavs decide that it's better for them to move on from Donovan.
"But it's tricky because if it plays out the way, like the way it looks like it's going to play out right now, where Donovan is going to play out that last year on his deal ... it's crazy, but that makes the first half of next regular season absolutely fascinating because you don't want to lose a player like that for nothing."
Game 5 between the Cavaliers and Raptors is in Cleveland on Wednesday. Let's see how the Wine and Gold respond after losing Games 3 and 4 in Toronto.
Cavaliers Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavaliers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.