The Cavaliers are adding former Lakers and Kings coach Luke Walton to their coaching staff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Walton last coached for the Kings but was fired in the beginning of the 2021-22 season after a 6–11 start.
Walton will join J.B. Bickerstaff’s staff that finished 44–38 last season, the first year the team finished above .500 since LeBron James was on the roster during the 2018–19 season. Walton’s last stop during his playing career was Cleveland before he retired in 2013.
Walton spent a little over two seasons in Sacramento where he compiled a 68–93 record. Before that, he was the coach of the Lakers from 2016 until 2019. While in Los Angeles, he had a 98–148 record. Overall, he has a 166–241 record as a coach and is returning to an assistant role for the first time since he was on Steve Kerr’s Warriors staff from 2014 to 2016.
Joining an up-and-coming Cavaliers team will likely boost his stock whenever another coaching opportunity arises.