The Cavaliers requested and were granted permission to interview Jazz assistant Alex Jensen for their head coaching position, league sources tell Joe Vardon and Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to the Athletic duo, the meeting is expected to take place sometime next week.
The news doesn’t come as a surprise, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this month that the Cavs were expected to meet with Jensen sometime after Utah’s season ended. The Jazz fell to the Rockets on Wednesday night, bringing their first-round series – and their season – to a close.
As Vardon observes (via Twitter), Jensen is one of many candidates with pre-existing ties to Cleveland — he served as the head coach of the Canton Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate from 2011-13 before joining the Jazz.
Of the Cavaliers’ other head coaching targets, Jamahl Mosley and Nate Tibbetts were previously a part of coaching staffs in Cleveland, while J.B. Bickerstaff‘s father Bernie Bickerstaff was also a Cavs assistant a few years ago.
Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool are among the other coaches who have either interviewed for the Cavs’ job or will do so soon.
He should get the job. Him or Howard