NBA

Cavaliers’ Marcus Morris says there was locker room disconnect before J.B. Bickerstaff’s firing

By
Social Links for Dylan Svoboda
Published May 24, 2024, 2:42 p.m. ET

The circumstances around what led to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s firing by the Cavaliers are becoming a bit more clear. 

Cavaliers veteran forward Marcus Morris suggested Friday that Bickerstaff may not have clicked with his players ahead of his dismissal. 

“Honestly, yeah, I kind of seen it,” Morris said on FanDuel TV when asked if there was a disconnect between Bickerstaff and the locker room in Cleveland.

“Sorry to say it. He’s been around there for a while, sometimes it’s just a little bit too long. I think he had the locker room. I think his time just ran out. Good dude on and off the court.”

Bickerstaff, who took over in 2020 and signed a multi-year extension with the team in December 2021, was canned after losing to the Celtics in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

The Cavaliers went 48-34 during the regular season, earning the No. 4 seed in the East this year and beating the Magic in seven games in the first round.

They fell short in the semifinals while dealing with injuries, with Morris, who only played 12 games for the team this season, scoring 25 points in the season-ending loss to the Celtics.

Bickerstaff’s firing was just the first move of what’s expected to be a busy offseason in Cleveland. 

Marcus Morris Sr. #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates after scoring during the fourth quarter of game five of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 30, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Marcus Morris Sr. celebrates after scoring during the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 30, 2024 in Cleveland. Getty Images

After the team’s elimination, Cleveland.com reported that Donovan Mitchell “grew frustrated with some teammates’ lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness, and a willingness to listen.”

The Cavaliers are expected to offer the All-Star guard a max four-year, $208 million extension, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, as the franchise maps out its future. 

Head coach J. B. Bickerstaff of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 09, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
J. B. Bickerstaff of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 09, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Getty Images

Mitchell could become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season and would become one of the hottest names on the NBA trade market if he doesn’t extend with the Cavaliers. 

If Mitchell re-ups in Cleveland, that could spell the end of Darius Garland’s tenure with the team.

The Athletic reported that Garland’s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would likely seek to get the point guard into a new uniform should Mitchell return to the Cavaliers in 2024-25.