5 best replacements for Cavaliers after firing head coach JB Bickerstaff

The writing was on the wall. The Cleveland Cavaliers waited a week to officially part ways with head coach JB Bickerstaff but the night they were eliminated by the Boston Celtics, rumors were already circulating that certain players weren't happy with his leadership and offensive structure.

The Cavs have a lot to figure out this offseason — trying to ink Donovan Mitchell to an extension, exploring trades for Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland — and doing all that with owner Dan Gilbert reportedly planning on being more involved in basketball decisions.

Some of the biggest coaching candidates — Charles Lee (Hornets) and Mike Budenholzer (Suns) — are already off the board and the Cavs are at least two weeks behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the same process, potentially competing for some of the same candidates. The Cavs really need to find the right person but they also can't waste too much time sifting through options like the ones below.

5. James Borrego

Borrego spent four years with the Hornets and though he was fired at the end of this stretch did reasonably well — a 0.458 winning percentage — with a team that was often short on talent. He's also interviewed for other openings this cycle and has a lot of experience as an assistant, working under Monty Williams with the Hornets, under Jacque Vaughn with the Magic and under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs.

He may not be the most exciting pick for Cavs' fans but he has a solid reputation and will likely get another head coaching opportunity somewhere.

4. Chris Quinn

Quinn has a relatively low profile but it's certainly been raised by his inclusion on the list of candidates for the Lakers' head coaching position. He's spent the last 10 years with the Miami Heat, first as a player development coach before he moved up as an assistant for Erik Spoelstra. He also reportedly interviewed for head coach openings with the Hornets and the Nets before they settled on other candidates.

Player development is still, reportedly, Quinn's specialty and given the Heat's track record for turning fringe players into solid contributors, it seems to be well-earned. He may not have the gravitas of some of these other candidates but having worked in the Heat organization could help sell him with the Cavs' veterans and he could help develop some depth where it's currently lacking.

3. Sam Cassell

Cassell is another highly regarded assistant who deserves a look. He's now spent 15 years as an assistant, working for the Wizards, Clippers, 76ers and Celtics, under head coaches like Flip Saunders, Doc Rivers and Joe Mazzulla. He also brings the experience and gravitas of having been an NBA player for 15 years, making an All-Star and All-NBA team and winning three championships.

The track record is mixed on experienced NBA point guards jumping right to coaching — Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups — but Cassell's 15 years as an assistant give him something totally different. On paper he's someone who could help develop young players, handle the strategic demands and command the respect and buy-in of the veterans on this roster.

2. Kenny Atkinson

Kenny Atkinson has been linked with almost every head coach opening over the past five to six years and with good reason. He was a highly regarded assistant with a reputation for excelling in player development and he lived up to that reputation when took over the Nets for the 2016-17 season. The Nets improved steadily over the next three years, making a playoff appearance in 2018-19 with young players like Jarrett Allen, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Caris LeVert and D'Angelo Russell blossoming.

Then Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant arrived, the culture, chemistry and direction of the team changed overnight. He and the team mutually agreed to part ways mid-way through that first season with Irving and Durant. He spent a year as an assistant with the Clippers and then spent the last three as the lead assistant for the Warriors under Steve Kerr.

Atkinson would be a huge get for the Cavs but there are rumors he could be the successor to Kerr in Golden State and may not be willing to dive into another opening right now.

1. Frank Vogel

Vogel hasn't been listed as a candidate for any openings so far this and there's no urgency on his end — the Suns will be paying about $6 million per year over the next four years after firing him after one season to hire Mike Budenholzer.

Vogel has been made the scapegoat in multiple coaching situations now but on paper, he has a very impressive resume. He helped make the Indiana Pacers a fringe contender, winning 58 percent of his games over six seasons and taking them to a pair of Eastern Conference Finals. He spent two tough years in Orlando with Aaron Gordon as his best player but had them on a growth trajectory before he was let go. He then went to the Lakers and led them to a title before taking the fall for the two disappointing, injury-riddled seasons that followed. And, finally, he nearly led the Suns to a 50-win season despite a deeply flawed roster built around a Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal who were only healthy enough to play 35 games together.

Vogel has coached some of the biggest stars in the game — LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Paul George, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker — but he's also been working against extremely high expectations and with rosters that have had enormous flaws beyond the star power at the top. And yet he's consistently made the most of these situations. He may not be ready to dive back in but he'd be worth a look for the Cavs.