Cavaliers Hire Former Jarrett Allen Teammate as Assistant Coach

New Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is in the early stages of building out his coaching staff for the 2024-25 NBA season. Atkinson was hired last month to be the next head coach of the Cavaliers after the team parted ways with J.B. Bickerstaff.

Atkinson will try to build off what Bickerstaff did and get the Cavaliers past the second round of the NBA playoffs. To help with this goal, Atkinson is adding a familiar face to his staff, who used to be teammates of Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday that DeMarre Carroll is joining Atkinson’s staff after spending the last two years as a coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.

The former 11-year NBA veteran played under Atkinson in Brooklyn for two years, averaging 12.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Carroll last played in the NBA during the 2019-20 season with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.

DeMarre Carroll is joining Kenny Atkinson’s coaching staff with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN. Carroll — who played 11 NBA seasons — spent the past two years as a coach with the Lakers and Bucks. pic.twitter.com/czHeMKDYVf
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2024

During those years with the Nets, Carroll mentored Allen and LeVert, who were young in their NBA careers, as HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto pointed out.

DeMarre Carroll reunites with Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland as an assistant coach after playing 2 years for him on the Brooklyn Nets. Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ott worked with Carroll when he played. Carroll was a veteran mentor to Cavs players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert https://t.co/gz0DD6sZ8K
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 5, 2024

Carroll is joining a Cavs’ team that isn’t on the same level as the Bucks and Lakers, but has a ton of talent with their ‘Core Four’. The Cavaliers had a great regular season under Bickerstaff but failed to put it all together in the playoffs as injuries hit them hard.

However, they have a new slate under a new coach and coaching staff led by Atkinson, who showed us in Brooklyn that he can get the most out of his guys, which made them one of the more fun teams to watch in the league.

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