Draymond Green’s Unfulfilled Wish Could Turn Blessing in Disguise For Cavs After JJ Redick’s Lakers Deal

Not even a week into the off-season, the NBA world witnessed a lot of surprising moves. One of them was the dismissal of Monty Williams as the HC of the Detroit Pistons while still owing him $65 million. Right after the 52-year-old entered the free agency, it opened doors for the franchises looking to fill their coaching job vacancy. Soon after, several insiders dropped in Williams’ next possible destination, including Draymond Green until it got streamlined after the Lakers’ JJ Redick deal.

Green, in the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, said, “Monty Williams is now on the free agent market… Something is going to happen fast… I know Anthony Davis loved Monty Williams when he played for him.” Following that, he posted a question asking if the LA Lakers should rope in Williams as their next HC. And, he replied to it, saying, “Of course, you got to consider him. 100%” However, the star’s wish didn’t last long as the LA Lakers have reportedly ended their hunt, hiring Redick.

But, in return, it seems to have opened the magic door for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Apart from the Lakers, the Cavs have also involved themselves in a head coach hunt after they dismissed J. B. Bickerstaff. James Borrego, the former HC of Charlotte Hornets, emerged as a possible candidate to replace Bickerstaff, as per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Moreover, Borrego along with JJ Redick also came into the picture to fill in for Williams at Detroit. However, now that the Lakers hired Redick, Borrego was left alone for the Cavs’ race. But, a report from Yahoo Sports revealed that the Pistons will “strongly consider” Borrego to take over the Pistons HC role.

This only leaves the Cavaliers hanging in thin air without an HC. And the Cleaveland side, who’ve been unfortunate and plagued by injuries, may have an open door to try their luck with Monty Williams.

Will Monty Williams be a right fit for the Cavs?

Monty Williams hasn’t had a stable run as a coach in the last few years. The star coach managed to take the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021. Despite winning the 2022 Coach of the Year Award, the Suns fired him the next season. They hired Adam Voges for the 2023-24 season, and the Pistons roped in Williams for a 6-year contract worth $78.5 million. Initially, Monty was reluctant to get back on the court, as he wanted to stay by his wife’s side, who was struggling with breast cancer.

Eventually, he took up the job and had a disappointing 14-68 record. It also included a record-losing streak of 28 games! Now that the Pistons have also let go of the 52-year-old, the Cavs seem to be one to rope him in. Notably, they themselves have important roster decisions to make, heading into the off-season. The team is currently at the crossroads. It has to either let go of Darius Garland and build a team around Donovan Mitchell or let go of Spida Mitchell and build from scratch.

Above all, it’s unclear whether Monty would be available for the job.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, this video