John Beilein Expected to Complete Shocking Move and Walk Away From Contract With Cavaliers

An already disappointing, upsetting season for Cleveland Cavaliers fans just got worse in a hurry with the execution of a decision nobody would have seen coming just a couple short weeks ago.

Head coach John Beilein and the Cavs are mutually parting ways, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jason Lloyd.

Cavs and John Beilein are in "advanced talks" about parting ways by Wednesday, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/UaKU3p4Dkv
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) February 18, 2020

Cavaliers fans may be happy the former Michigan Wolverines boss is gone, as his coaching term in Cleveland was filled with little other than controversy and drama. A midseason head coaching change, of course, is never easy for a team; it's not often a high-profile hire doesn't even last through his first year.

Assistant coach JB Bickerstaff will take over as full-time head coach without an interim label.

Beilein had seen lots of drama in his time with the Cavs, most notably when he called his players "thugs" when describing their sloppy style of play. Tension within the organization with players and team officials had only been rising until that point.

J.B. Bickerstaff is poised to take over in-season as an NBA head coach for the third time, league sources say, after Cleveland's inevitable parting with John Beilein. Bickerstaff also had to step in midstream in Houston (37-34 in 2015-16) and Memphis (15-48 in 2017-18) previously
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 18, 2020

This is the third time Bickerstaff will step in to pick up the slack in the midst of a season for a departed head coach, as he had previously done so for the Houston Rockets in 2015-16 and the Memphis Grizzlies in 2017-18.

Cavaliers, coach John Beilein remain in discussions on his future with franchise -- including on terms of a contract settlement, league sources tell ESPN. Both sides believe he's coached his final game, but there's no resolution yet. JB Bickerstaff would elevate to head coach.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 18, 2020

Beilein's Cavaliers entered the All-Star break dead-last in the Eastern Conference with a 14-40 record so far this season. The exit of a head coach is always tough to deal with, midseason or otherwise, so the Cavaliers might be in for a long second half in 2020 even with a new lease on life under Bickerstaff.