Lue: Blatt deserves another chance to coach, Cavs miss him

David Blatt was unceremoniously dismissed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in January, though the man who took his job still endorses him as an NBA head coach.

"He definitely deserves another chance," Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. "I thought Coach Blatt did a great and phenomenal job here. He taught me a lot. Just being friends with him and getting a chance to understand him was great for me.

"I know a lot of guys around here, we talked about it the other day, they miss him and his presence. I would just like keep in contact with him. Hopefully, he gets another job in this league because he deserves it."

Blatt's name has been tossed around as several teams search for a new head coach. The 56-year-old reportedly met with New York Knicks president Phil Jackson on Monday regarding their vacancy. He's also reportedly planning to meet with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite owning the best record in the Eastern Conference, Blatt was fired by the Cavaliers on Jan. 22. General manager David Griffin cited a lack of fit with the team's personnel and vision, then signed Lue to a three-year deal to take over.

Lue took Blatt's place as head coach for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and led Cleveland to a 27-14 record in 41 games.