The Boston Celtics’ offseason is set to be a busy one, but the recent departure of assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry has added an extra layer of transactions to the summer to-do list.
With Shrewsberry heading to Purdue, the Celtics began exploring options to fill the void. It was reported that head coach Brad Stevens had interviewed former Memphis Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff for the role of assistant coach during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
It appears the Celtics won’t be getting their man. Bickerstaff is heading to Cleveland as an associate head coach with the Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski also reported that Bickerstaff had interviewed for the Cavaliers’ head coaching position before the team hired University of Michigan’s John Beilein, so it was clear general manager Koby Altman thought highly of him.
Boston wasn’t the only team targeting Bickerstaff, as he had quickly become a hot commodity on the coaching market. The Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings also reached out to the 40-year-old about lead assistant roles.
Cleveland will make Bickerstaff one of the NBA’s highest-paid assistants, per Wojnarowski.
