Cavaliers Rumors: JB Bickerstaff Could Take Associate HC Role with John Beilein

New Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein has never been a head coach in the NBA and reportedly could have some experienced help by his side for the 2019-20 season.

On Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Beilein is expected to discuss an associate head coaching job with J.B. Bickerstaff in the near future. Wojnarowski called Bickerstaff a "sought-after top assistant" and noted he interviewed for the head coaching positions with the Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers.

The Cavaliers announced earlier Monday that they hired Beilein, who was previously the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines.

Bickerstaff was an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies earlier in his career and was named the interim head coach of the Rockets during the 2015-16 season.

He went 37-34 in 71 regular-season games before losing to the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. He was also the interim head coach of the Grizzlies during the 2017-18 season but finished just 15-48 with Mike Conley sidelined for much of the campaign with injuries.

Memphis took off the interim title and made Bickerstaff head coach in 2018-19, and the team improved to 33-49 under his watch but still missed the playoffs. The Grizzlies fired him during the offseason.

Wojnarowski noted "Beilein wants an experienced NBA staff" for this undertaking, and Bickerstaff would certainly fit the bill.

Cleveland was just 19-63 in 2018-19 after LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers, but Beilein went to the national championship game in two of the last seven years with the Wolverines. He will look to establish that type of winning culture in the NBA, and he recognizes the importance of having experienced coaches—like Bickerstaff—on his staff.