Cleveland Cavaliers and John Beilein Reportedly Heading for a Breakup
John Beilein likely won't be in the NBA much longer. A new report Sunday night claims the Cleveland Cavaliers are unlikely to keep Beilein beyond this season, and momentum is building towards his departure.
Shams Charania, Kelsey Russo and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic had the report and here's what they had to say:
"Cavaliers coach John Beilein is not expected to remain as head coach beyond the end of the season, league and team sources have told The Athletic. The terms of the separation, and the exact timing of it, are not yet known, but momentum is building toward his exit."
The report continues:
"Several factors have come into play around the Cavaliers and Beilein in regard to his job position leading to the potential end of his tenure before the end of the five-year contract he signed in May — including the team’s on- and off-court struggles and the personal toll his son Patrick Beilein’s resignation at Niagara in October has taken on him — league sources said."
Adrian Wojnarowski also chimed in and reported that Beilein and the Cavs have even discussed parting ways during the All-Star break:
Reporting with @WindhorstESPN: Cavaliers and John Beilein have discussed possibility of him stepping down as coach during the NBA All-Star Break. No decision’s been reached. After signing 5-year deal to leave Michigan, Beilein’s struggled w/ transition to NBA.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 17, 2020
The Cavs are currently 14-40 and have the second-worst record in basketball. There isn't a whole lot of hope on the roster either. Collin Sexton is wildly-talented but has also been maddening in his second season. Kevin Love has been rapidly diminishing for years but the Cavs are stuck giving him a max contract. They just traded for Andre Drummond and his max contract (he holds a player option for next season), and rookie Darius Garland has struggled as well.
The Cavs haven't gotten better all season and haven't seemed to buy into Beilein's system and have been frustrated with him. Meanwhile, Beilein has already had to apologize to his players for comments he made during a film session.
Everything about this marriage has been a mess from the start. Beilein left a great situation at Michigan for this and it's been an abject failure. It's not surprising at all that the relationship between the coach and the franchise is falling apart.