An NBA source has said that the Cleveland Cavaliers have looked to Euroleague coach David Blatt to fill the team’s head-coaching vacancy.
Yahoo Sports was the first to report that Blatt was the Cavaliers' top choice. Now, league sources have confirmed that the 55-year-old was offered the job Thursday night and contract negotiations continued into Friday morning.
The Golden State Warriors had also reportedly pursued Blatt to coach on Steve Kerr’s staff as an assistant.
If Blatt becomes the head coach of the Cavaliers this will be the first NBA job for him.
After playing point guard at Princeton University, the Massachusetts native has played and coached in Europe for the past 33 years.
ESPN noted that Blatt coached Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv to a Euroleague championship this season and in 2012, coached the Russian national team to the bronze medal at the London Olympics.
Blatt could have his hands full with the Cavs, who have had dismal seasons recently and have not made the playoffs since the departure of LeBron James in 2010. One bright spot is that the team does have the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft.