CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers found their new coach overseas, bringing in David Blatt less than a week before they pick first overall in the NBA draft.
Cleveland ended a wide-ranging, 39-day search on Friday by hiring Blatt, who had spent the past 20 years coaching in Europe. Blatt is the Cavs’ third coach in three years and while he may not be well known in the U.S., the 55-year-old has a strong international resume and is regarded as one of the game’s top offensive minds.
The Cavs fired Mike Brown on May 12 following a 33-49 season. The team interviewed several former head coaches and some highly regarded assistants before zeroing in on Blatt, who recently resigned at Maccabi Tel Aviv to pursue his dream of coaching in the NBA.
Cleveland has the No. 1 overall pick in the draft for the second year in a row.
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