CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have hired Greg Buckner as an assistant coach, league sources tell cleveland.com.
Buckner, who played 10 years in the NBA, began his coaching career in player development with the Houston Rockets in 2011, where he worked alongside Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff for the first time. Following three seasons in that role, Buckner was elevated to assistant coach. Eventually, he joined Bickerstaff in Memphis, getting hired as an assistant shortly after Bickerstaff earned the Grizzlies’ interim head coaching gig in late 2017.
Now, the two are working together in Cleveland.
The Cavs had an open spot on the bench after Bickerstaff’s promotion in February, stepping in for John Beilein. In the short term, each assistant moved over one seat, but the Cavs wanted to permanently fill that spot at some point this offseason. Buckner was with the team during its downtown minibubble in September and has been working with players individually at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Buckner will have a significant role alongside the Cavs’ other assistant coaches.
Bickerstaff is entering his first full season in Cleveland as head coach. The team went 5-6 in 11 games with him before the season ended abruptly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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