Cleveland Cavaliers set to interview Johnnie Bryant, Chris Quinn

The Cavs coaching search continues as they will interview two more top assistants.

The Cleveland Cavaliers coaching search continues with two more names officially being adding to the interview list. Cleveland received permission to interview New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant and Miami Heat top assistant Chris Quinn according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Bryant has been suggested as a possible head coach candidate for the Cavs before this most recent report. He was close with Donovan Mitchell when both were with the Utah Jazz which is a reason to keep an eye on him. The team’s number one goal for the offseason is getting Mitchell to commit long-term. This is an advantage for Bryant if the organization believes hiring him would give them a better opportunity to do so.

This doesn’t mean Bryant should only get a look at the open vacancy because of his relationship with Mitchell. Bryant was hired as a player development director for the Jazz before the 2012-13 season and is still best known for his work in that department. Bryant was promoted to an assistant coach position two seasons later. He was named associate head coach for the Knicks before the 2020-21 season and has been in that position since.

Bryant interviewed for the open head coach position in Utah in 2022 before the team traded Mitchell to Cleveland a few months later.

Quinn transitioned into coaching after his playing career. He went undrafted in 2006 but made his way onto Miami’s roster where he stayed for four seasons. Quinn bounced around to a few teams and played overseas before spending the last few weeks of the 2012-13 season with the Cavs.

Quinn started his coaching career the following season as an assistant with Northwestern. In 2014, he returned to Miami as an assistant where he’s since remained. He has filled in as acting head coach three times for Miami when Erik Spoelstra has been forced to miss a game. Quinn’s ability to step in during these situations impressed former veteran Udonis Haslem.

“If anybody has an opportunity to step into the next level sooner than later, it would be Quinny,” Haslem said of Quinn in 2022. “He has the knowledge, the experience, the relationship with the players. He has every base covered when you talk about checking the boxes to have the ability to be a successful head coach.”