The Cavaliers were in such a dire position when they publicly named Larry Drew interim coach, he said he wasn’t accepting that title. At least not without a new, longer contract. Even after Cleveland gave him a new deal, Drew said in January:
“I don’t know if I ever want to be a head coach again after this year,” Drew told The Athletic.
Now, that miserable experience ends.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
I doubt Drew ever coveted assurance of staying on the job. He wanted a multi-year contract so he’d get paid out more if fired after this season. His new deal was partially guaranteed for 2019-20, and he’ll presumably get that money.
He leaves the Cavs in a better place than how he found them. Rookie Collin Sexton improved a ton during the season. A chaotic environment stabilized.
The Cavaliers remain in rough shape – capped out with a bad roster. But they’ll have a high draft pick and can continue rebuilding post-LeBron James. It’ll be a multi-year process, one Drew never seemed up for.