David Blatt has reached an agreement to be the new head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s a four-year deal that could be worth up to $20 million.
Blatt is a former player who played for Pete Carill at Princeton. For the last 33 years he has played and coached in Europe. He is the first European coach to become a head coach in the NBA, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. This is the first NBA job for Blatt.
The Cavaliers were between Blatt and Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Tyronn Lue for the job. They offered Blatt the job Thursday night. The Cavaliers had to make a decision between Blatt and Lue soon because Blatt was ready to accept an assistant coaching job with the Golden State Warriors, according to Yahoo Sports.
Blatt’s hiring is good news for the Cavaliers. He is one of the most successful coaches in Europe. Among the places where he has coached are Israel, Greece, Russia, and Turkey. He led the Russian national team to a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in London in 2012. This season he led Maccabi Tel Avi to the Euroleague championship, according to ESPN.
Blatt will have some work to do as the Cavaliers have missed the playoffs the last four seasons. He is their third head coach in the last three years. He is the 20th head coach of the Cavaliers and replaces Mike Brown who was fired on May 12.